Pakistan: Journalist's life threatened for covering Ahmadi, Christian news

The Express Tribune Chief Reporter Rana Tanveer on Thursday received a threatening letter for covering minorities. The one-page letter, bearing stamps of a Multan post office and Lahore Garden Town post office, bore threats and termed Tanveer “apostate” by accusing him of favouring minorities, especially Ahmadis and Christians. The letter, which started with “Allah-o-Akbar” read; “Rana Tanveer enough is enough. Your favour to Ahmadis and Christians is increasing and now it is my firm belief that you are not a Muslim. You have turned to be an apostate by writing against Islam and in favour of ‘anti Islam’.”It added, “We know your purpose of doing such but now it is better for you to stop writing ‘against’ Islam and in favour of Qadianis and for correction of your belief seek your forgiveness from Allah. If you continue this practice, you will be killed as being an apostate you deserve death.” The letter said that in defiance “you will be hit from where you cannot even imagine”. The writer wrote his name as ‘Mard-e-Mujahid’ at the end of the letter. The letter sent on the newspaper’s official address – 229-A Ferozepur Road Near Kalma Chowk – is written in Urdu language on an old and rusty page. It seemed that writing on the letter and on its envelope is not same. Rana Tanveer said that he always observed objectivity during his professional duties. He said being a Muslim, he cannot even think of writing against Islam. He added that whatever he writes is based on facts and being a professional journalist it is his duty to do factual reporting. He said although he is covering beat of minorities for about four years, he had never received such a letter. He said it might be result of somebody’s personal grudge against him.