The United Nations cultural organisation Unesco on Tuesday deplored last week's targeting killing of local TV reporter Noorul Hassan in northwest Pakistan and called on the country's authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the attack which left Hassan's cameraman severely injured.
“I condemn the attack that claimed the life of Noorul Hassan and left his colleague injured,” Unesco's director-general Audrey Azoulay said in a statement.
“I call on the authorities to spare no effort in seeking out those responsible for this crime and bringing them to justice. This is indispensable to deter violence against the media and against the public’s right to information,” the statement added.
Hassan and his cameraman, name as Sabir, were driving along Peshawar's ring road when unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on their car on 3 December.
The journalists were taken to a nearby hospital, where Hassan died from his injuries, while Sabir was left in a critical condition. No one has been arrested so far over the shootings, which police are investigating as a target killing.
Hassan worked for Royal News TV and was not known to have any enemies. His murder has been condemned by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and by the International Federation of Journalists, which urged Pakistan's government to take "immediate action".
Five journalists have been killed in Pakistan this year alone, according to the IFJ.
