Multan Union of Journalists (MUJ) has expressed its concern on the violence against journalists to gag the press in such states where dictators have been ruling.
Reviewing a report from the Brussels-based International News Safety Institute (INSI), the MUJ said what a pity that more than 1,000 journalists and their supporting staff have died in the past decade, with Iraq and Russia topping the list as the deadliest countries for the profession, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Most of the dead were men who died in their home countries. Nearly half were shot dead. Others were blown up, beaten to death, stabbed, tortured or decapitated. The MUJ meeting was chaired by Syed Nadeem Shah, President and addressed by Abdul Sattar Qamar, Maqbool Ahmed Bukhari, Hameed-ul-Hassan, and Rashid Arshad Salimi.
They said, "It also confirms how insignificant the efforts have been to achieve justice for journalists who are harmed or persecuted as they work to keep the world informed. We are at a perilous point in journalism, fair and accurate coverage is more necessary than ever but the risks to those who pursue it are greater than ever."