Pakistan: Journalist killed in front of family

Abdul Latif Baloch shot, just three months after his son was murdered

Journalist Abdul Latif Baloch has been shot and killed at his home in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.

Latif Baloch was shot four times in his home in the Mashkay Tehsil area of Awaran district in front of his wife and children after four armed men broke into his house.

Baloch human rights groups have alleged that the men belonged to a state-backed militia as part of a ‘kill and dump’ campaign, with Pakistani military and intelligence agencies allegedly targeting journalists, activists and intellectuals in the conflict-torn Balochistan province - which borders Iran and Afghanistan.

The NUJ joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in condemning Latif Baloch’s murder, which happened in the early hours of 24 May.

It is the second tragedy to befall his family after his eldest son Saif was kidnapped and killed, along with three other relatives, in February.

Latif Baloch was a prominent journalist affiliated with outlets Daily Intekhab, AAJ News and ARY News, in which he wrote about human rights abuses, military crackdowns and resistance movements and also reported on enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the region.

The province of Balochistan makes up around 44% of Pakistan's total land area but is home to around just 6% of the country's 241 million population. It has rich natural resources, including gas and minerals (and is part of a multi-billion dollar project funded by China called the China Pakistan Economic Corridor) but its history is marred by insurgency and human rights violations.

Pakistan was the deadliest country in the Asia-Pacific region in 2024 according to the IFJ’s annual list of killed journalists. IFJ has continued to call for all states to adopt the IFJ-led International Convention on the Safety and Independence of Journalists and Other Media Professionals - which aims to provide greater protection for media workers and journalism in the face of escalating violence and threats.

The PFUJ said:

“PFUJ has continually called on the government to provide security to working journalists but the killings have not stopped and yet another journalist has lost his life. PFUJ President Rana Muhammad Azeem and Secretary General Shakeel Ahmed have demanded the Balochistan authorities immediately investigate and arrest the murderers of Latif Baloch and ensure his family is compensated.” 

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: 

“The IFJ strongly condemns the killing of journalist Abdul Latif Baloch. Journalists continue to come under heavy fire in Pakistan, the deadliest country for journalists in the Asia-Pacific region in 2024, underscoring the urgent need for the government and authorities to take immediate, concrete action to protect journalists and hold all perpetrators fully accountable.”

 

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