Pakistan: Absa Komal Receives Death Threats for Condemning Attack on Christian Community
Women Press Freedom stands with Absa and demands authorities to ensure her safety
Location: Pakistan, Karachi
Date: May 29, 2024
Women Press Freedom is deeply alarmed by the online threats directed at Absa Komal following her denunciation of a mob attack on the Christian community in Pakistan on May 25. A worker of a religio-political party known for its extremist and radical views openly threatened her on Twitter. Women Press Freedom stands firmly with Absa Komal and extends our unwavering support to her. We urge the Pakistani government to ensure her safety and hold accountable those who threaten journalists. No journalist should be endangered for their reporting or opinions. Additionally, the government must take decisive action to protect religious, ethnic, and gender minorities in Pakistan, who are often targeted by fanatic mobs for their differences.
On May 25, a charged mob, armed with sticks, weapons, and stones, attempted to break into the home and factory of a Christian man, accusing him of blasphemy. Despite efforts by the police and local residents to defuse the situation, the mob set his factory on fire and later caused significant damage to his house. The man was severely beaten and injured. TLP also registered a case against him for alleged blasphemy.
Absa Komal, who hosts a political talk show on Dawn News, has been vocal in her condemnation of the attack on the Christian community in Sargodha.
In response to this atrocity, Komal used her platform to highlight the persecution of the Christian community and criticize TLP's role in the violence. Her outspoken stance led to a series of threats from TLP supporters, who demanded that she remain silent on the issue.
Komal took to Twitter to call on the Pakistani government to address these threats, stating, "Will the government do something about the radical group that's openly threatening journalists who are speaking out and reporting on the attack on the innocent Christian community in Sargodha?? Mohtarma: Your party’s identity and ideology is accusing & killing innocent people in the name religion, nothing will change that."
Speaking with Women Press Freedom, Komal said she learned about the TLP’s involvement in the incident from a ground reporter and was stating facts on her social media. The journalist also highlighted her concerns, stating that she has been raising them regarding the party's “violent activities against minorities.”
“I took to Twitter and expressed concerns regarding this group's ideology, its impact on young minds, and the blasphemy laws of Pakistan that need to be revisited according to the legal fraternity and civil society as there have been numerous cases of the law's misuse,” she tells Women Press Freedom, adding that she has since received numerous threats and a vile campaign against her has been organized by TLP trolls.
“Most of them are threatening and asking me to provide proof of the allegations, while the thread I posted on X includes the news story pointing out how the Sargodha incident was initiated by a person brainwashed by TLP,” she tells Women Press Freedom.
The threats she received included TLP workers telling her how they could turn from 'flower' to 'sword' against people like Komal. “One of them even mentioned that a TLP worker killed a man in Europe, so I should watch out. Some are saying they will not spare me as it is a matter of life and death.”
TLP is a right-leaning religio-political group notorious for its extreme views and made headlines in national and international media in 2017 following a sit-in and violent protests in Pakistan's capital city Islamabad related to a clause in the country’s Election Act pertaining to the finality of the prophethood.
These threats against Komal are deeply alarming, and those responsible for them must be urgently addressed by the authorities, especially those overseeing digital crimes in Pakistan. Online threats against journalists have a high potential to escalate into physical attacks, severely jeopardizing their safety. This is particularly concerning when extremist groups target journalists for their reporting or opinions, which they deem unacceptable.
“I stand by my words and will continue to raise my voice against extremism because I believe if people like us who have a platform don’t highlight these issues, then who will?” Komal says.
Women Press Freedom unequivocally stands with Absa Komal and demands immediate and decisive actions: Pakistani authorities must provide security for Komal to ensure her safety from these threats; those who issued threats against her must be swiftly identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law; the Pakistani government should urgently review and amend the blasphemy laws to prevent their misuse against minorities and journalists; international organizations and the global community must stand in solidarity with Komal and other journalists facing similar threats, advocating for their safety and freedom of expression; and the Pakistani government must take concrete steps to safeguard religious, ethnic, and gender minorities from extremist violence and persecution.
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