Tragic news struck the journalism community as Khalil Jibran was brutally murdered in the Landi Kotal area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district. The unknown assailants ambushed Jibran near his home, shooting him dead before fleeing the scene. Jibran, a seasoned journalist associated with Khyber News and former president of the Landi Kotal press club, had previously received threats from terrorists.
Outrage and demands for justice echoed nationwide, with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling for swift action to apprehend the criminals. The funeral prayers of Jibran saw a massive turnout of mourners, including politicians and journalists.
The incident shed light on the dangers journalists face in Pakistan, as reflected in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index. With three to four journalist murders annually in the country, the need for enhanced media safety measures is evident. The recent killings of journalists Nasrullah Gadani and Maulana Muhammad Siddique Mengal serve as stark reminders of the risks journalists undertake in their line of work.