Ghotki journalist Tufail Rind shot dead by unknown assailants in presence of his children: police

A local journalist, Tufail Rind, was shot dead by unidentified armed men in the Mirpur Mathelo area of Sindh’s Ghotki district on Wednesday morning, according to the police.

The attack took place when he was on his way to drop his children off at school. According to a police press release, the shooting occurred on the Jerwar Road near Maso Wah, where the assailants riding a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire at his car.

“Rind died on the spot, while his children miraculously escaped unharmed,” the police said.

Witnesses added that the attackers fled the scene after the assault, spreading panic across the area. The police later transported the body to the District Headquarters Hospital of Mirpur Mathelo for medico-legal formalities.

The police statement said that upon receiving the information, Ghotki’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anwar Khetran immediately reached the crime scene, inspected the site, and met with the victim’s family, issuing “strict orders to the concerned officers for prompt action”.

“The SSP Ghotki assured the victim’s family that all individuals involved in the murder would be arrested soon and brought to justice,” the statement added.

The police said that multiple angles are being investigated and evidence is being collected to determine the motive behind the attack.

According to a relative of the victim, Rind was associated with Mehran Newspaper and Royal News, and also served as an office-bearer of the Mirpur Mathelo Press Club. He had survived an earlier assassination attempt in which he had requested security from the local administration, but no effective measures were taken.

SSP Khetran confirmed in a statement that Rind had complained a few months ago about an incident of gunfire at his home, saying that police had made arrests at that time.

“We also arrested one person in connection with that on Oct. 4 (Saturday),” he added. “Rind was in contact with us and appreciated that the arrests were made.”

A few hours after the murder, another tragedy struck when Rind’s eight-year-old niece fainted upon hearing the news of the killing. She was rushed to Mirpur Mathelo Hospital and later referred to Sukkur due to her critical condition, but died on the way. Her body was handed over to the family after medico-legal procedures.

Suspects arrested

Ghotki’s SSP Khetran has said that two suspects have already been arrested in connection with the murder of Rind.

“The slain journalist had a dispute with members of his own community for the past four years, during which two people had previously been killed,” said SSP Khetran.

He said that individuals from both sides of the rival groups were already in jail, and that this was the third murder linked to the same dispute.

“All those involved in the murder of journalist Tufail Rind will be arrested,” the SSP added.

Sindh’s Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and sought an urgent report from Sindh Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon.

In his statement, the chief minister said, “Attacks on journalists are attacks on press freedom, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.”

Murad directed the police to conduct an impartial investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice at the earliest. He also expressed condolences to the victim’s family and assured them that justice would be carried out.

Locals in Ghotki and Mirpur Mathelo described Rind as a courageous journalist who always stood for the downtrodden. His funeral was attended by a large number of citizens, journalists, and political leaders.

Condemnations pour in

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also condemned the killing, calling it a “tragic and deplorable incident”. He said the Sindh government stood with the bereaved family, adding, “Such attacks are equivalent to assaults on freedom of expression.“

Deputy Parliamentary Leader of Sindh Assembly and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan’s representative, Taha Ahmed Khan, strongly condemned the “brutal murder”.

In a statement, Khan said that MQM Pakistan stood in solidarity with the Rindh’s family as well as with the journalist community during this difficult time.

Sindh Government Spokesperson and Mayor of Sukkur, Barrister Arsalan Islam Sheikh, expressed sorrow and regret over the incident, calling it highly condemnable.

“Attacks on journalists are actually tantamount to attacks on freedom of expression, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” Mayor Sukkur said in a statement.

Journalist, press associations demand justice

Rind’s murder sparked widespread grief and anger across the journalist community in Pakistan. Journalists across Sindh staged protests, demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits and the introduction of effective laws to protect journalists. The protests included a sit-in observed in front of the SSP’s office.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Karachi Press Club, Hyderabad Union of Journalists, Umerkot Press Club, Ghotki Press Club, and Mirpur Mathelo Press Club jointly condemned the killing, saying, “Another voice has been silenced — punished for speaking the truth.”

They urged the Sindh government to provide financial and legal assistance to Rind’s family and to formulate a clear security policy for journalists to prevent further bloodshed.

PFUJ’s Vice President Akbar Jafri said in a statement that the incidents of attacks, threats, kidnappings and brutal killings of journalists across the country were “clear evidence of the complete failure and indifference of the government and administration”.

He said that Rind’s murder was “proof that there is no effective policy for the protection of journalists across the country, including Sindh.”

Jafri pointed out that Rind had appealed on social media a few days ago regarding the threat to his life, but the government and administration ignored this appeal, which “resulted in the loss of another precious life”.

“The journalistic community is united and will continue to struggle for its rights and protection, because remaining silent now will be tantamount to waiting for more sacrifices,” he said.

Journ­alists and media professionals have faced a tightening landscape in 2025 for free expression, according to a report by the Pakistan Press Foundation.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has ranked Pakistan as one of the world’s deadliest countries for journalists owing to its high rate of impunity for the killers of journalists.

According to a report by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), 87 journalists were killed in Pakistan between 2006 and 2023, with only two of those cases “resolved”.

In August last year, unknown armed men shot dead another Ghotki journalist, Muhammad Bachal Ghuniyo, who was associated with a private Sindhi TV channel.

Another Ghotki journalist, Nasrullah Gadani, who worked for a Sindhi newspaper, was shot at and seriously wounded in an attack in May 2024. He succumbed to fatal injuries at a Karachi hospital three days later.

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