42 journalists killed in Pakistan in 4 years, Senate told.

ISLAMABAD -- The federal government on Friday informed the Senate that as many as 42 journalists were murdered across Pakistan during the last four years, with a maximum 15 lost their lives in Punjab and only one culprit is convicted out of total 55 nominated accused.

In response to the question asked by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi told the house during the question hour that 15 journalists were killed in Punjab during the last four years followed by 13 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11 in Sindh, and three in Balochistan. It is alarming that one only accused in Balochistan has been convicted in such killings during the last four years.

Responding to the supplementary questions, the minister admitted that the situation regarding the security of journalists was critical in the country and the government should take prompt action against the culprits. The journalists should be provided special security, he added.

According to the data shared with the house, out of 26 accused nominated in such cases in Punjab, seven were arrested, eight were either not arrested or escaped, five were under trial, two were on bail, one was released by the court, and three were killed in police encounters.

Among 13 accused in KP, two were acquitted, four were under trial, one could not be arrested and six had been placed under miscellaneous category, who were either untraced or killed for other reasons. Out of 11 accused in Sindh, four were...