October 09, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
Tufail Rind, who worked for a local Sindhi newspaper and for Royal News, was gunned down while dropping his children off at school in the Masawa area of Mirpur Mathelo.
Barkat Mirani, a journalist from Mirpur Mathelo, told Voicepk, while quoting a police official that, “Tufail was killed due to a personal enmity over a land dispute which had already resulted in the killing of two people from both families. In this ongoing cycle of killings and subsequent FIRs, Tufail Rind was also nominated in one of the FIRs.”
Tufail was the General Secretary of the Mathelo Press Club, recently renamed Shaheed Nasrullah Press Club. Nasrullah Gadani was also a reporter for the local Sindhi-language newspaper Awami Awaz. Last year, he was attacked by armed assailants in the Kori Goth area of Ghotki district, Sindh. He suffered critical gunshot wounds to his abdomen and later died in a Karachi hospital on May 24.
Tufail’s uncle, Hafiz Rabnawaz, 52, spoke to Voicepk about the incident while receiving condolences at his guest house.
“Tufail had four children and was dropping them off at school along with his niece, as usual, when he was targeted. The attack killed not just him but also his niece,” he said. “He was murdered because he always stood with the oppressed and spoke the truth. He had also survived an earlier assassination attempt, after which he requested security from the local administration, but no effective measures were taken.”
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ghotki Anwar Khetran, “Tufail was killed because, as a journalist, he was the most influential member of his family and had access to public offices. The opposing party held a grudge against him because of his influence.” The SSP further added, “Tufail was satisfied with police action in his case and had never raised any complaints. In fact, he had recently appreciated our efforts in arresting one of the accused nominated in an earlier assassination attempt. Meanwhile, police have arrested one suspect, and efforts are underway to apprehend the main culprits involved in Tufail’s murder.”
After his cold-blooded murder, a primary suspect recorded an alleged video in which he could be seen taking responsibility for the killing. In the video, the suspect says to the SP, “I killed Tufail Haidarani to take ‘plund’ (revenge) for the murder of my son, Amir Haidarani. The SP should not harass innocent poor people.” Regarding this video, SSP Ghotki Anwar Khetran said, “A video has gone viral on social media in which a man is confessing to the murder. The suspect will be traced and arrested through technical means.”
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-governmental organization that works to defend and promote press freedom and the safety of journalists worldwide, Pakistan ranks 158th out of 180 countries and remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Each year, multiple journalists are killed—often in connection with cases involving corruption or illegal trafficking—with most cases going completely unpunished.
This claim is further supported by the 2024 report by Freedom Network, a Pakistan-based media and development sector watchdog, which documented six cases of journalists killed between November 2023 and August 2024. During the same period, at least 49 violations against journalists and eight against other media professionals were recorded—averaging nearly six violations per month.
According to the report, Sindh emerged as the most dangerous province for journalists in Pakistan, accounting for 37% of the total violations (21 out of 57 cases). Punjab was the second worst (23% or 13 cases), followed by Islamabad (12 cases, 21%). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) ranked fourth (12% or 7 cases), while Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Balochistan each accounted for 3.5% (2 cases).
Following the incident, journalists, citizens, and social organizations across Ghotki district expressed deep grief and anger. Journalists staged a protest sit-in outside the SSP Ghotki’s office, vowing to continue their protest until the killers were arrested.
Meanwhile, the Commission for the Protection of Journalists also took notice of the killing and sought a report from the DIG Sukkur. According to the Commission’s Secretary, Saeed Memon, “The murder of Tufail Rind is deeply concerning. A detailed report on the police action and the incident has been requested immediately.”
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah strongly condemned the killing, saying, “Attacks on journalists are equivalent to attacks on freedom of the press. The killers must be arrested soon and brought to justice.” While Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Provincial Interior Minister Zia Lanjar also expressed their grief and solidarity with the bereaved family.
The funeral prayers of the killed journalist, Tufail Haidarani, were offered in his native village, Pir Bakhsh Haidarani, where a large number of journalists, political and social leaders, and citizens attended. The body was later laid to rest amid tears from thousands of mourners.
At the hospital, Tufail Haidarani’s young daughter, Muqaddas, broke down upon seeing her father’s body. Crying uncontrollably, she said to the journalists, “Has anyone ever gotten justice before — that we will?”.