Acting president, PM want Israel held accountable for massacre of journalists

Acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday urged the international community to hold Israel accountable and bring it to justice for the massacre of journalists in Gaza.

Highlighting the recent bombings in Gaza, where a significant number of journalists lost their lives due to Israeli attacks, the acting president said according to the United Nations, over 130 journalists had been killed in Gaza to date.

In his message in connection with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, he said that freedom of the press was not possible without ensuring safety of the journalists.

He said the journalists work in challenging conditions especially while reporting in conflict zones and during wars.

The acting president said that in such dangerous environments, journalists faced various risks, including censorship, violence, threats, abduction, and even murder.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called upon the international community and various organizations to bring Israel to justice for the massacre of journalists in Gaza.

Despite international conventions, dozens of journalists in Gaza were deliberately killed to obstruct the truth, the prime minister said in his message on the occasion of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

He emphasized that journalists from across the world including Pakistan work day and night to keep the world informed.

"Unfortunately, journalists have to endure various dangers, hardships, and difficulties in pursuit of truth," he regretted.