Pakistan: Online Harassment of Sahrish Khokher Escalates into Physical Assault
A group of nine follows, surrounds, and threatens the journalist after posting news on social media
Location: Pakistan, Rohri
Date: July 1, 2023
Sharing a Facebook post on a police investigation into two journalists results in online harassment, followed by physical assault for reporter Sahrish Khokher. The escalation of attacks from the internet to physical threats is deeply concerning. The Coalition For Women In Journalism worries for her safety and urges police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to conduct swift investigations.
On July 1, ARY News reporter Shahrish Khokher was leaving work in Rohri when she was attacked by a group of nine people who threatened her life. The attackers manhandled Khokher, telling her to remove a post she had shared on social media or face consequences.
A few days earlier, Khokher shared a Facebook post accusing journalists in Sukkur of practicing “yellow journalism” and blackmailing citizens. She specifically referred to a police investigation into two particular journalists.
After posting the comment, Khokher faced a slew of negative comments attempting to discredit her work as a journalist and insult her.
The President of the Sukkur Union of Journalists defended Khokher, stating she had merely expressed her opinions on social media. He also said that some journalists in Sukkur have been embroiled in personal issues and have used their journalistic identity to mask these matters.
After the physical assault, Khokher filed complaints with the police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The police station in Sukkur registered a First Information Report (FIR) on July 1 and is currently investigating the case.
FIA Sukkur Deputy Director confirmed that the cybercrime wing is also examining Khokher's case, attempting to identify those who commented on her post. He cautioned that the process could take up to 60 days.
Women journalists in Pakistan frequently endure vicious online harassment. In February 2023, Javeria Siddique, a reporter, and widow of assassinated journalist Arshad Sharif, told CFWIJ she feels her life is at risk after facing a malicious online smear campaign. Harassers attempted to assassinate her character by spreading lies about her, discouraging her from seeking justice for her husband’s death.
Online harassers sometimes escalate to offline stalking, threats, or physical violence. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2017, 40 percent of murdered journalists had received online threats before their deaths. The same year, two women journalists, Daphne Caruana Galizia from Malta and Gauri Lankesh from India, were killed for their work within six weeks of each other. Prior to their murders, both journalists experienced extensive online attacks, which were often gendered in nature.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the attacks on Shahrish Khokher, the escalation of assaults from online to the offline world is deeply concerning. We urge the police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate her complaints and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.