GHOTKI/ISLAMABAD: A local journalist Bachal Ghunio was shot dead in Sindh’s Ghotki district, police told media on Tuesday. Locals have accused dacoits for the murder of journalist Bachal Ghunio.
According to the police, Ghunio was attacked while visiting his fields. His body has been moved to Taluka Headquarters Hospital in Ubauro, and an investigation is underway.
In response to Ghunio’s killing, his family staged a protest outside the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police in Mirpur Mathelo, demanding the arrest of those responsible.
Ghunio’s murder adds to the alarming rise in violence against journalists in Pakistan, making him the ninth journalist killed in 2024.
Just last month, reporter Malik Hassan Zaib was shot dead by unknown assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district while traveling with his brother.
On May 3, Muhammad Siddique Mengal from Balochistan was killed in a bomb attack. On May 15, Ashfaq Ahmed Sial from Muzaffargarh was shot by two motorcyclists, and on May 21, Kamran Dawar from the Tapi area in North Waziristan was shot dead.
On that same day, journalist Nasrullah Gadani was shot by assailants on motorcycles near Korai Goth, about 12 kilometers from Mirpur Mathelo, and succumbed to his injuries three days later.
Journalist Khalil Jibran from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Landi Kotal area was also shot dead by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle on June 18.
Ghunio’s young son revealed that there had been a longstanding enmity between his father and certain community members, despite the issues being previously resolved. He also mentioned that his father had been attacked by opponents a few years ago.
In response to the journalist’s killing, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ordered the immediate arrest of the culprits and has directed an intensification of operations against dacoits in the riverine area.
Sindh Assembly Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi condemned the targeting of journalists as an attack on press freedom and called for the arrest of those responsible for Ghunio’s murder.
The International Press Institute (IPI) global network also expressed concern over the increasing attacks on Pakistani journalists, urging authorities to ensure the safety and protection of the media.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
