Attacks on journalists: Inquiry reports be made public, says Marriyum

LAHORE: PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb has demanded that the inquiry reports regarding attacks on journalists be made public immediately.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, she said all reports regarding attacks on Absar Alam, Matiullah Jaan, Asad Toor and all others be released. She said attacks on journalists are alarming and condemnable.

The former Information minister said a recent report makes dangerous revelations. There is a steep rise in violence against journalists in Pakistan. Journalists were attacked 91 times from April 2020 to May 2021 in Pakistan. She said Islamabad has become the most dangerous city for journalists because there were 31 such incidents in the federal capital. She reminded how Absar Alam was shot, Matiullah Jaan was abducted and Asad Toor was assaulted in his own home. But not a single perpetrator has been arrested to date. Not a single report regarding any of these incidents was presented, she lambasted.

Marriyum stressed that special steps be taken to ensure the safety and security of Pakistan's journalists. Special legislation and practical steps be taken in this regard, she demanded. Mere lip-service won't achieve anything, she said and demanded that the inquiry reports be presented in the parliament.

She pointed out that the attacks on journalists is one of the reasons behind the EU’s review of Pakistan’s GSP Plus status.