NEW YORK, May 23: In a new report on anti-media atmosphere in Pakistan, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the incoming government to urgently address the “issue of violence against the press by bringing perpetrators of past crimes to justice”.

“Pakistan has one of the world’s worst records of prosecuting anti-press violence, with authorities failing to convict a single suspect in 23 journalist murders over the past decade,” said CPJ Asia programme coordinator, Bob Dietz.

“The situation is dire as journalists are targeted not only by militants, criminals and warlords, but also by political, military, and intelligence operatives. These threats have gone completely unpunished over the past decade and have made the country one of the deadliest in the world for the press.”

The CPJ report written by independent journalist Elizabeth Rubin exposes the intricate web of manipulation, intimidation, retribution, and impunity that had led to a significant rise in journalist murders over the past five years.