The death of a private channel’s journalist Imtiaz Baig is being mourned by the Pakistani public. Prayers and condolences are being poured in on social media over the death of Imtiaz Baig.
The country’s journalist community is mourning the loss of Imtiaz Baig. PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry also expressed condolence for the death of journalist Imtiaz Baig.
“Senior journalist from Jhelum Imtiaz Baig has passed away. May Allah grant him the highest rank in jannat,” Fawad Chaudhry said.
حافظ امتیاز بیگ بہت کی خوبصورت انسان تھے ۔ اللہ تعالی ان کی مغفرت فرمائے اور درجات بلند سے نوازے https://t.co/eVuWgHDSDi
— Raheeq Abbasi (@RaheeqAbbasi) May 5, 2023
اناللہ وانا الیہ راجعون۔۔اللہ تعالی سماء فیملی ممبر امتیاز بیگ صاحب کو جنت الفردوس میں اعلی مقام عطا فرمائیں اور ان کے تمام پسماندگان کو صبروجمیل عطا فرمائے یہ نقصان عظیم برداشت کرنے کی ہمت عطا فرمائیں آمین ثمہ آمین pic.twitter.com/wFljaEYlU1
— Hasnain khawaja (@hasnain_kh) May 5, 2023
According to the details in the media, SAMAA TV Jhelum correspondent Imtiaz Baig has been killed in an ‘assassination attempt’ carried out by unidentified persons in Jhelum.
Police confirmed that Samaa TV reporter Imtiaz Baig was killed in an ‘assassination attempt’. Police detailed that unidentified persons attacked Baig with baton when he came out of a local mosque after offering prayers.
Read more: UN Chief urges international community to protect journalists
The attackers fled from the scene after attacking the TV reporter. Police authorities launched an investigation to ascertain the motives of the attack.
The news of the assassination has raised alarm among Pakistan’s journalist community which is demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
ہمارے بھائی سماء کے جہلم سے نمائندہ امتیاز بیگ کے قاتلوں کو کٹہرے میں لایا جائے۔
کل آزادی صحافت کا دن منایا گیا اور آج ایک اور صحافی کو قتل کر دیا گیا@SdqJaan @ImranRiazKhan @nadeemmalik @TalatHussain12 @MohsinnaqviC42 https://t.co/vQfeXi6cDx— Saud Ahmed (@Saud_Samaa) May 4, 2023
سینئر صحافی سما جہلم کے نمائندہ حافظ امتیاز بیگ کو قتل کر دیا گیا گزشتہ رات ان پر نماز کی ادائیگی کے بعد گھر جاتے ہوئے حملہ کیا گیا تشدد زدہ لاش مسجد کے باہر سے ملی ہے انتہائی ملنسار با اخلاق اور نیک انسان تھے اللہ جوار رحمت میں جگہ عطا فرمائے اور لواحقین کو صبرجمیل عطا فرمائے pic.twitter.com/SJOezkeomP
— Amiruddin Mughal (@MughalAmiruddin) May 5, 2023
Extremely saddened to hear the shocking news of brother Imtiaz Baig(Sama news reporter) who’been brutally assassinated when he was coming out of Mosque . We strongly condemned and demand from govt to arrest the killers within 24hours . #arrestthekillers #justiceforimtaizbaig pic.twitter.com/ccHfjaIoV9
— Imran Rana (@ImranRanaOx) May 4, 2023
On the other hand, SAMAA TV has reported that Imtiaz Baig passed away in an ‘accident’ after he fell from a height and met with a deadly head injury. As per the initial medical report, the incident occurred due to a falling from a height while deep head injury was the cause of death.
Punjab IG has ordered a complete investigation into the incident. Punjab Interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi also took notice of the incident an sought report from the relevant authorities.
جہلم میں نجی ٹی وی چینل سماء نیوز کے صحافی امتیاز بیگ کے جاں بحق ہونے کا معاملہ
آئی جی پنجاب کا نوٹس، آر پی او راولپنڈی سے رپورٹ طلب
آئی جی پنجاب ڈاکٹر عثمان انور کا امتیاز بیگ کی وفات پر اظہار افسوس، ڈی پی او جہلم کو واقعہ کی مکمل تحقیقات کا حکم
میڈیکل رپورٹ اور شواہد کی…
— Rana Mannan (@rana_mannan) May 5, 2023
While the death of Imtiaz Baig is being investigated, it is pertinent to mention that Pakistan has long been known as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists to work in. Journalists in the country are often subject to physical attacks, intimidation, and censorship, with many facing serious risks to their safety and freedom.
In recent years, the situation for journalists in Pakistan has remained precarious. In 2020, Pakistan was ranked 145th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, a ranking that reflects the country’s poor record on press freedom.
Read more: Bhakkar Police take action against culprit for whipping local journalist
Journalists are also frequently targeted by government officials and security forces, who use tactics such as intimidation, harassment, and censorship to silence critical voices. Despite the challenges, many journalists in Pakistan continue to bravely report on important issues, including corruption and human rights abuse.