Two journalists killed near Pakistan-Afghanistan border

New York, December 6, 2010–At least two journalists were among approximately 50 people killed in a double suicide attack today in Pakistan’s Mohmand tribal district, according to international news reports.

The reporters’ news organizations told the media support group Pakistan Press Foundation that Abdul Wahab of the Urdu-language Express News television channel and Pervez Khan of Waqt TV (owned by Nawa-i-Waqt media group), were killed in the attack. Another journalist, Mohib Ali of the independently owned News Network International, was injured.

The men were covering a meeting of tribal leaders and government officials in Ghalanai, the administrative center of the border region. According to local and international media reports, the meeting was to discuss the formation of an anti-Taliban local militia. Mohmand lies near Pakistan’s troubled border with Afghanistan, and is the site of frequent violence.

“A violent death on the job is an increasing danger for journalists in Pakistan,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “We join with the families and colleagues of those journalists killed and injured today in Mohmand in mourning their losses.”

CPJ data  show that at least six other Pakistani journalists have died while on assignment in 2010, making it one of the deadliest countries for journalists in the world.