Growing attacks on journalists in Pakistan

By DPA

Islamabad, July 22 (DPA) An international media organisation in a report published Saturday has noted growing attacks on journalists and their offices in Pakistan in the first six months of the current year.

According to statistics complied by the US-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Internews, two journalists were killed in at least 48 reported attacks on Pakistani journalists up to June 30, 2006.

'A total of 66 journalists were targeted in the 48 incidents, in which 25 people were kidnapped and 11 were harassed or threatened,' the Online news agency quoted the report as saying.

A tribal journalist Hayatullah Khan, who was working for local and foreign media, was murdered in Pakistan's troubled North Waziristan region where the army troops are battling suspected Al Qaeda terrorists and their local supporters.

Munir Ahmed Sangi of a regional TV network 'Kawish' in southern Sindh province was gunned down when he was covering an armed clash between two warring tribes.

During the period in review, armed men belonging to various political groups attacked six offices of media organisations including press club buildings in the cities of Peshawar, Quetta and Kairpur.

Sindh proved to be the most dangerous region for the media where 29 journalists were attacked or harassed, while 17 similar cases were reported in the tribal areas that border on Afghanistan.