The International Press Institute (IPI) on Friday condemned the killing of a Pakistani journalist in Sindh province and urged the government to bring the culprits to justice at the earliest.
According to media reports, Ajay Laalwani, a reporter of Royal News TV, was sitting at a barber shop in Sukkur on Thursday when a group of armed men opened fire at him. Though he was rushed to a local hospital, he died during treatment, reported The Dawn.
“IPI strongly condemns the murder of Ajay Laalwani. The authorities in Pakistan must immediately investigate his killing and find and punish all those who were responsible, including the gunmen as well as whoever ordered the murder”, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen said in a statement.
“We fear that Pakistan’s long history of impunity for crimes against journalists continues to provide fertile ground for new acts of violence against the press. Combating this impunity must be a top priority for local and national law enforcement in the country,” he said.
Earlier, the Sindh Journalists Council had appealed to the Sindh chief minister and inspector general of the police to take action for the arrest of Laalwani’s killers.
The IPI observed that the murder of Laalwani followed several recent incidents of violence against journalists in the country. “According to the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors’ (CPNE) recent report, at least 10 reporters were murdered in the country in 2020. Other journalists have faced assault, harassment and arrest,” it said.
Two days ago, journalist Sahil Jogi of Samaa TV, alleged that he was tortured by police while covering a protest against the death of a Sindh University student in what police claimed to be an encounter. On February 21, a group of protesters attacked offices of Jang-Geo media group and reportedly assaulted the staff members.