Pakistan: Hassan Farhan Tariq, crime reporter, in the Peshawar Bureau of Dawn News television channel has been receiving threatening calls from unknown numbers since December 13, 2017.

Callers told him that some of his news stories were against the national interest. Tariq was warned by the caller if he will not stop such reporting, he will face dire consequences and also asked him to disclose the sources of a story.

Tariq told Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) he was receiving calls after the broadcast and publication of his follow-up story on the arrest of three suspects over the terrorist attack at the hostel of Peshawar Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).  The attack had taken place on December 1, 2017, in which nine killed and 37 injured.

Tariq has filed a complaint with West Cantonment Police Station, Peshawar about threatening phone calls. After registering his compliant police advised him some safety tips.

Ali Akbar, a bureau chief of Peshawar Dawn News told PPF that he had overheard a caller telling Tariq that his story regarding the captivity of attackers over the attack on ATI was against national interest.  Police advised Tariq to restrict his movements, install CCTV cameras and barbed wire near his home and office, hire a security guard and get lighting arrangements in his neighbourhood improved.