Pakistan: Abducted Female Journalist Returns After More Than Two Years

PAKISTAN, LAHORE, October, 30 — The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes the release of young Pakistani freelance journalist Zeenat Shahzadi, who had been missing since August 2015.

Shahzadi was the first female journalist in the country to be reported abducted. The August 2015 abduction was not the first time she was kidnapped. Earlier that same year, she was forcibly taken by security agencies in Pakistan for interrogation, due to her reporting. Shahzadi’s release was reported earlier this month, on October 19 by authorities, stating that she was recovered from the custody of non-state actors, near the border of Afghanistan.

“We welcome the good news of her release. We acknowledge this is good news is rare regarding journalist safety coming from Pakistan, where journalists in general and women journalists in particular are targeted notoriously for their work,” said Kiran Nazish, Founding Director of the Coalition For Women In Journalism.

“That Shahzadi has been released now after more than two years reveals the Pakistani state’s good efforts to ensure her safety. We appreciate that. But we also demand some answers. We want the Pakistani state to vividly describe the process of Shahzadi’s release and to name clearly the perpetrators who released her. This is important so we can ensure that journalists have clarity about the source of these threats.”

Zeenat Shahzadi was abducted in precarious circumstances, and much of our investigation over one year has lead us to believe that her abduction was carried out by individuals linked with the state. However, after Shahzadi’s release, we have been restrained from being able to see her in person, or achieve any clear details from the authorities that claim to have helped in her release. The answers to these questions are extremely critical for journalist safety, especially that of women journalists who are often targeted psychologically, sexually and physically by their intimidators.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism has closely followed the case since Shahzadi’s abduction was reported by the BBC by our team member Saba Eitizaz, who herself faced serious threats after the reporting on Shahzadi’s abduction. We will continue to follow the well being of Zeenat Shahzadi’s mental and physical health, as long as she needs.

“We are happy that Zeenat has returned home safely. We acknowledge that this was a deeply traumatic experience for Zeenat and her family. Now that she’s finally back home it is time to help her heal by giving her the freedom of movement and ability to seek counsel from qualified professionals. We have learnt this has not yet taken place as our access to Zeenat has gradually become limited,” said Nosheen Abbas, Manager of Pakistan Chapter for the Coalition For Women In Journalism.

“With due respect for her privacy as this case affects all journalists the present situation is unsatisfactory in terms of transparency and accountability. This is especially important to us in Pakistan given the history of threats and disappearances of journalists in the country.”

“Shahzadi’s release is a positive step forward, but what we need now is answers to questions surrounding her abduction,” said Jill Langlois, an Associate for Advocacy at the Coalition For Women In Journalism.

“If we want to keep women journalists safe, we need to know where threats have come from in the past and where they could come from in the future. Without this information, we are all in danger while doing our jobs.” We urge the government to ensure that journalists are able to carry out their work with dignity and security.

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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ.

Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org