Karachi (Shahrukh) Pakistan – Prominent journalist and social activist Syed Talat Abbas Shah affiliated with HRNW News Agency, Action for Humanity Organization, and Royal News TV has come under severe threat following his recent publications. A chilling letter delivered to HRNW’s Karachi office warned, “We warned you to stop your work, news publishing, and book. We have declared you an infidel (kafir), and you are now our target.” Syed Talat Abbas Shah has formally filed a complaint with the East District of Sindh Police in Karachi, Pakistan.

Unshaken by the intimidation, Syed Talat Abbas Shah declared, “Journalism is not just my profession it is my duty to raise my voice for the oppressed. No threat can silence me.” Notably, this marks the second major threat in just over a year, underscoring a disturbing pattern in targeting journalists who address human rights and politically sensitive subjects.

The trend of targeted threats and violence against journalists in Pakistan is both alarming and widespread. According to the Freedom Network’s recent data:

  • In April 2025 alone, journalists nationwide faced twelve documented threat cases, including threats of murder, assaults (with and without injury), arrests, and even disappearances fnpk.org.
  • Threats are not isolated to remote regions; in urban centers like Karachi, reporters such as Syed Tabish Kafili were physically assaulted by police while covering accidents, prompting condemnation from across the media community fnpk.org.
  • In September 2024, Waseem Qureshi, a reporter from Rawalpindi, received explicit death threats following his investigative work on land-grabbing mafias fnpk.org.
  • Courts and protests are no safe zones either journalists covering political or legal proceedings, such as Aoun Raza, faced assault, and many have been detained or harassed by authorities fnpk.org.

The environment is particularly volatile for those confronting extremist sentiments or speaking truth to power.

In response to rising threats, various civil society actors and institutions have mobilized to bolster protections:

  • The Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR) collaborated with the Karachi Union of Journalists to launch a Journalist Alert web-based application for real-time threat reporting, alongside training workshops for first responders Dawn.
  • Press clubs and unions continuously condemn attacks and call for justice, such as the reaction to threats against Dawn TV anchors after airing programs on religious minorities fnpk.orgGeo News.

Despite these efforts, human rights defenders underscore that without systemic enforcement and political will, such protective measures may fall short.

Poignantly, similar cases in Pakistan have ended far more tragically. One of the most emblematic is the case of Syed Saleem Shahzad, investigative reporter for Asia Times and Adnkronos. He disappeared in May 2011 and was later found tortured to death. Prior to his disappearance, Shahzad had reported on al-Qaeda’s infiltration of Pakistan’s navy and had conveyed multiple threats from ISI officers to human rights groups and colleagues CBS NewsHuman Rights WatchThe NationalWikipedia.

More recently, in May 2024, activist-journalist Nasrullah Gadani was assassinated in Karachi by unknown gunmen after vocally opposing feudal oppression in Sindh Wikipedia.

Shah’s professional profile, available via Linktree, highlights his recognition as a 3rd & 4th Global Award-Winning Journalist, Knight Fellow, CEJ alumnus, and founder of Diplomacy Pakistan. His biography on Muck Rack further details his contributions as a journalist, author, and human rights defender. He also published his book “Salb-e-Haq” on religious freedom and human rights and proud Chapter Leader of United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights International U.S.A for and promoted the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) for the past several years.

Despite this global recognition, his work has drawn the ire of extremist groups in Pakistan, placing him at significant risk.

Human rights defenders argue that the threats against Syed Talat Abbas Shah reflect a broader pattern of intimidation against journalists in Pakistan who cover religious freedom, minority rights, and state-linked abuses.

Civil society organizations have urged HRCP (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to intervene and demand immediate response.

The threats faced by Syed Talat Abbas Shah are more than personal they’re symptomatic of a deteriorating climate for free and fearless journalism in Pakistan. His courage in continuing to report despite the danger is emblematic of a resilient journalistic ethos. But long-term protection demands more than individual bravery it requires systemic change.

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