JournalismPakistan.com | Published May 21, 2020
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—Sher Ali Khalti of The News has become a symbol of inspiration for youngsters, having risen from an office boy to becoming an investigative reporter. He thanked Allah for his good luck.
According to Gulf News, he got recruited as an office boy at The News, Lahore, in 2014. His job was mainly to serve tea to the staff or get printouts of their articles. Today, he works in the same organization as an investigative reporter. His articles on militant outfit Jamat-ul-Dawa (JuD), shariah courts, honor killings, Chotu gang (a notorious gang of kidnappers in Southern Punjab), and missing people have been highlighted in the paper.
Khalti comes from Rojhan, a remote and underdeveloped town in the Rajanpur district of Southern Punjab. His father passed away during the 2005 floods in the Indus River that destroyed their belongings and cotton crop.
Later, he moved to Lahore, where he completed Masters in English from Punjab University, Lahore, and later did his Masters in Mass Communication from National University of Modern Languages (NUML).
Being a native of South Punjab, Khalti offered his editors that he could interview the gang leader Chotu. He did the exclusive story, and later the law-enforcement agencies contacted him to play the role of an intermediary.
In 2016, he formally joined the paper as a reporter and has been a member of the Fact-Finding Mission on Kartarpur Corridor, constituted by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
Photo courtesy: Gulf News
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.