A journalist was killed in an attack by suspected bandits operating in the riverine area of Sindh, the provincial home ministry announced on Tuesday, bringing the total number of media workers killed in the province this year to 11.
Muhammad Bachal Ghunio, a journalist affiliated with Awaz TV, was shot dead on Monday in the riverine regions near Sindh’s Ghotki district. While his family and locals suspect the involvement of bandits from these areas, police have suggested that the killing may have been due to “personal enmity.”
This incident follows the recent killing of 12 policemen in Punjab’s Rahim Yar Khan district, where bandits attacked them with guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The Kacha area, known for its hideouts along the Indus River, is notorious for harboring heavily armed bandits who evade police capture.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar stated on Tuesday, “The perpetrators involved in the murder of journalist Muhammad Bachal Ghunio in an attack by dacoits in the riverine areas should be brought to justice as soon as possible.”
Bandits frequently target travelers on highways in Sindh, Punjab, and other parts of Pakistan. Some regions in these provinces are so perilous that people avoid traveling after sunset to prevent robberies, although police claim to have cleared most “no-go areas.” Kidnappings for ransom by bandits also occur in various parts of the country.
Northern Sindh has increasingly become a dangerous area for journalists, with several killed and many falsely accused in recent years.
Ghunio’s murder occurred just one day after a local court denied bail to parliamentarian Khalid Lund and his sons Shahbaz Lund and Noor Muhammad Lund, who are suspects in the murder of another Ghotki journalist, Nasrullah Gadani, killed in May.
Pakistan consistently ranks among the most dangerous countries for journalists, with many facing threats, intimidation, and violence. The government and military deny persecuting media workers.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 103 journalists and media workers were killed in Pakistan between 1992 and 2024. A report published by Freedom Network in June stated that 10 media workers were killed in Sindh this year, with Ghunio’s death bringing the total to 11.
