Another journalist goes missing in Pakistan

Pakistan, the country ranked among the most dangerous for journalists in past, has seen another scribe go missing. Pakistan's Geo News said that its senior reporter, Ali Imran Syed went missing on Friday (October 23). The reporter, who left his house to go to a bakery did not return even after many hours. His family told Geo News that Imran Ali Syed left his phone in his house before heading out. His car was parked outside his house at the time of the disappearance.

The police have been informed of Ali Imran Syed's disappearance.

Other media reports suggest that the disappearance of Syed has come just days after he obtained video footage of Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law being arrested from a hotel in Karachi.

Captain Safdar, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law, was arrested and released earlier this week. Nawaz Sharif, who is in UK for medical treatment, condemned this and told reporters that there was a 'state above state' in Pakistan. The reference was taken to be aimed at Pakistan Army.

Also Read | Pak still not implementing financial sanction on UN-listed terrorists: FATF

Journalists in Pakistan have always been under threat. The mysterious disappearances or even killing of journalists has had many pointing fingers at Pakistani establishment. This has been especially true when journalist criticising the establishment have disappeared mysteriously.

In May this year, editor of an ethnic Baloch news website was found dead in Sweden. Sajid Hussain, the journalist, was forced to flee Pakistan in 2012 after he got death threats. Soon after he was found dead, BBC reported that a press freedom charity had pointed fingers at Pakistani intelligence for Hussain's death.

Again in July, a prominent Pakistani journalist who raised voice against Pakistani establishment went missing. Matuiullah Jan, who went missing from Islamabad, had previously been attacked in 2017.

In an interview to an American NGO, Committee to Protect Journalists, in February, Jan said that his broadcast career turned south after a military spokesman publicly displayed his name and photo on a list of journalists who were accused of distributing anti-state propaganda.