Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is concerned by threats issued to Roznama Adalat Akhbar’s editor Sherbaz Muneer and journalist Zafar Mughal in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. We urge relevant authorities to ensure that journalists are able to safely do their work without fear of consequences. 

According to Mughal, threats follow a news story published in Daily Adalat on April 5, detailing the removal of two sub-inspectors by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police due to suspected connections to criminal elements.

On April 18, Mughal found a handwritten letter in his mailbox containing violent threats against him and his editor, Sherbaz Muneer. The letter explicitly warned them to refrain from reporting on police officials and threatened to burn their office and harm them if they did not comply. 

It stated: “Zafar Mughal, journalist, and Sherbaz Muneer, editor, you both published a news story against Arshad Gujjar Sialkoti on April 5 in Adalat newspaper. Now prepare yourselves, we will see you and Sherbaz. You will remember this, your journalism will end. We will burn your office. You will never publish any news regarding the police officials. Prepare yourselves, and also inform your DIG friend that he can do what he wants, we will also see him. We will also burn his DIG house, and he will not live in Mirpur anymore. You are being a puppet of the DIG, we will shoot both of you, and will end your journalism.” 

Upon receiving the letter, Mughal filed an application to DIG Police Chaudhary Sajjad Hussain, describing the threatening incident. The First Information Report (FIR) 121/24 was lodged at the Thothal police station on April 22, under Section 506 of the Azad Penal Code (APC), which addresses criminal intimidation involving threats of death or severe injury. Following the FIR, the direct threats stopped.

Editor Sherbaz Muneer told PPF on April 23 that he received a threatening call four or five days before the letter, but it was in Punjabi, and he did not fully understand it. He initially dismissed it as a typical call for a crime journalist, but after receiving the threatening letter, he considered that the call might have been related.

On April 23, SHO Wajahat Kazmi told PPF that the police investigation has just begun, and no leads have been found yet. 

An emergency meeting of the Pakistan Professional Union of Journalists (PPUJ) was held on April 19 to discuss the situation, with Central President Khawar Bukhari and other officials participating. The PPUJ condemned the threats and urged the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the DIG Mirpur Division, and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mirpur to ensure the arrest of those responsible for threatening journalists and provide security to them.

The PPF calls on the authorities to act swiftly to ensure the safety of journalists and prevent future threats against media personnel.