A journalist in Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was hurled at death threats after his report on a sexually assaulted girl was published.
 
“I am under death threat since January 12 following the publication of the girl story on January 11,” Noorul Wahab, who works for Daily Express newspaper in Charsadda district, told Freedom Network [FN] on January 13, 2014.
 
The journalist said the threats were hurled at him through a mobile phone with Afghanistan’s number +93784602701. “You will be shot dead after three days,” the caller threatened, according to the journalist.
 
Increasing number of use of Afghan SIMS in growing criminal cases has worried the police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Muhammad had ordered the authorities to block use of Afghan SIMS.
 
Wahab immediately brought the threat into knowledge of senior police officials, including district police officer of Charsadda district regional police officer in Mardan district.
 
The rape story was published in other newspapers also, including Daily Pakistan and Khabrain, and ARY News channel too aired the reported case of girl rape.
 
Peshawar Press Club and Khyber Union of Journalists, meanwhile, condemned the threats against the Charsadda district calling upon the government to protect Wahab before any harm was caused to him.
 
The raped girl, who is a student of nine class, demanded of the chief justice of Pakistan to get the rapists punished for their act.
 
“I don’t know the caller making the calls,” the journalist told the police investigating the threats. “As the rape story was carried by national level newspapers it has brought the rapists under pressure who are pressuring the girl family to reach a settlement out-of-court,” the journalist said.