Pakistani journalist Sadaf Naeem was crushed to death by a container truck while she covered a political march led by former prime minister Imran Khan.
The television journalist with Channel Five slipped from the container truck Khan was travelling and was crushed to death by the vehicle. Khan’s convoy was marching toward the capital.
After Naeem passed away, Khan paused the “long march” and wrote, “Shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible accident that led to the death of Channel 5 reporter Sadaf Naeem during our March today”.
Khan’s convoy team often invite a few journalists onto the container truck to speak with Khan. Journalist Qazzafi Butt witnessed the incident and told Reuters that Naeem lost her balance as she tried to climb onto Khan’s truck to get a soundbite. He said that the truck ran over her as she fell on the road.
Who Was Sadaf Naeem?
- Pakistani television journalist Sadaf Naeem was the breadwinner for her family.
- Naeem worked as a journalist for 12 years and has two children, aged 17 and 21.
- She worked with Channel Five as a news reporter. Prior to working at Channel Five, she worked as a model and TV host on different TV channels.
- Pakistani officials said they would bear the living costs and educational expenses of her two children.
- Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed his condolences to Naeem’s grieving family. He described the later journalist as a “dynamic and hardworking reporter”.
- Sharif wrote in a tweet, “Deeply saddened by the death of reporter Sadaf Naeem after falling from a long march container. Cannot feel sad enough over this tragic accident.”
- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Choudhry confirmed that a female journalist was killed during the march and that Imran Khan got off the vehicle to inspect the tragic scene.
- Channel Five confirmed that Naeem was the female journalist killed after being crushed by the container truck.
- Naeem was shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Hamonki and pronounced dead on her arrival.
- Her husband said in a statement to the police that Naeem’s death was an accident and he did not want to initiate any legal action.
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