KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Union (AIJU), call on the Pakistani government to investigate the shooting of Afghan journalist Ahmad Hanayish and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
In a statement issued on Friday, the media watchdogs emphasized that journalists should be able to work without fear of retaliation, and those responsible for the attack must not be allowed to escape with impunity.
Ahmad Hanayish, also known as Abdul Aleem Saqib, an Afghan journalist living in exile, was shot by unidentified gunmen on motorcycles as he was returning home in the capital city of Islamabad on Wednesday night, April 3rd.
According to the IFJ statement, the journalist was shot twice in the leg and grazed by another bullet on his head. He was subsequently transferred to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Originally from Panjshir province, Mr. Hanayish worked as a reporter for Radio Free Europe and also owned two radio stations named Kahkashan and Donya in northern Afghanistan before the Taliban takeover of the country. He is among the over 200 journalists who fled to neighboring Pakistan due to fear of Taliban retaliation.
Following the incident, the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC), an Afghan media watchdog, condemned the attack and called on the Pakistani government to prioritize the safety of exiled journalists residing in the country.
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also urged the Pakistani government to swiftly investigate the incident and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
In a statement on Thursday, CPJ’s Program Director emphasized that “The assault on Ahmad Hanayesh requires a thorough investigation by Pakistani authorities, who must ensure that the culprits are held to account.”
“It is imperative for Pakistan to safeguard the hundreds of Afghan journalists who have sought refuge within its borders, out of fear for their lives, because of the Taliban’s crackdown on media freedom,” he added.
CPJ says that Afghan journalists stuck in limbo in Pakistan are unable to find jobs and are facing restrictions on their movement, along with the threat of deportation from the country.
The media watchdog deems Pakistan to be extremely dangerous for journalists, especially those who report critically on the Pakistani government and military. Since 1992, CPJ says, it has documented 64 journalists who were killed in the country over their work. In many of the cases, no one has been held accountable.
“The country ranked 11th on CPJ’s 2023 Global Impunity Index, which ranks countries by how often killers of journalists go unpunished.”
“The leadership of the AIJU, while wishing Mr. Hanayesh good health and recovery as soon as possible, requests the authorities of Pakistan and the journalistic institutions of that country to take this issue seriously and identify its perpetrators,” part of the IFJ statement reads.
