Islamabad, Jan 24 (IANS) A new investigation, titled ‘Truth denied: How Pakistani authorities built an unsolvable case’, has revealed shocking shortcomings in the probe on 2014 killing of Pakistani journalist Shan Dahar, highlighting police misconduct, political inaction and years of impunity.
Dahar was shot dead on the night of January 1, 2014 in Badeh, a city in Sindh province, while filming a video report on trafficking medicines. More than 12 years after the murder, his killers are still remain at large illustrating the widespread problem of impunity in Pakistan.
The new investigation by international press freedom organisations Free Press Unlimited (FPU), in partnership with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as part of the ‘A Safer World for the Truth’ project, has revealed new details in the case of the murder of Dahar.
“Their conclusion is clear: his murder remains unsolved due to a flawed investigation and a lack of political will… It is time for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s promises to be followed with decisive action and for the Pakistani authorities to bring those responsible to justice,” the RSF stated a November 2025 statement of the Pakistani PM – made on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists – where he had announced that his government would take measures to ensure effective investigations and prosecutions for crimes against journalists.
According to the RSF data, in the last 10 years alone, 35 journalists have been killed in Pakistan, with no real investigations underway.
The investigation conducted by the coalition into Shan Dahar’s murder case detailed that the authorities’ version of the crime is highly improbable. Two witnesses identified in the proceedings told the coalition that they had been forced to provide false information.
The coalition urged that, given Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif’s promises, the authorities should intensify their collaboration with civil society organisations working for press freedom in order to compensate for the lack of resources and strengthen the political will to solve this case.
“Nearly 12 years after the murder of journalist Shan Dahar, his killers remain at large, clearly illustrating the widespread impunity for crimes against news professionals in Pakistan. The joint investigation into Shan Dahar’s death highlights these profound failures of justice. We call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to keep his promises: reopen an independent investigation in order to arrest and prosecute those who ordered and carried out this murder without delay, properly enforce the 2021 Journalists’ Safety Act, and cooperate with civil society so that justice can finally be done for Shan Dahar and this ongoing impunity can come to an end,” stated Celia Mercier, the head of the RSF South Asia Desk.
Beh Lih Yi, the Asia-Pacific Director at CPJ, said that killing a journalist has become one of the safest crimes in Pakistan.
“The murder of Shan Dahar is emblematic of the pervasive impunity in journalist killings in Pakistan and the lack of political will to end this vicious crime. After more than 12 years, there has been no justice for Shan Dahar’s family, while Pakistan remains one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists. With the new evidence we have uncovered through this joint investigation, the Pakistani authorities must now arrest the suspects, and bring them to justice. The onus is now on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to prove he meant business when he vowed to protect journalists – or that his words are just empty talk,” said Beh Lih Yi.
–IANS
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