The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned over an attack on the home of a reporter in Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad.
According to reports from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, the incident occurred early on the morning of January 19, when stones and bricks and were hurled at the home of Azaz Syed, a reporter with the Dawn television channel.
No one was injured but Syed’s car was reportedly damaged.
“The IFJ extends its support to the PFUJ and to the protests that have been undertaken by journalists’ groups in Islamabad, including a boycott of National Assembly proceedings for a day,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
The IFJ has had repeated occasion in the recent past to note that the unsettled security situation in parts of Pakistan has been taking a heavy toll on journalists’ safety.
In this instance, it is reported that certain news reports filed by Syed that have been critical of official security and intelligence agencies may have been the provocation for the attack.
“We call upon the Interior Ministry and other concerned authorities to follow up on promises that they will trace those responsible for this attack,” Park said.
“These measures are required to be undertaken on an urgent basis to restore some degree of confidence within Pakistan’s media community”.
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries