Gunmen open fire on the home of Pakistani journalist Ihsan Khattak

New York, February 27, 2026—Pakistani authorities should swiftly investigate a shooting attack on the residence of journalist Ihsan Khattak and ensure the safety of all reporters working in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

On February 12, at about 9.45 p.m., unidentified gunmen fired multiple shots at the main gate of Khattak’s property in Kotka Jandar Khel village, Bannu district, not long after he entered the house, according to multiple news reports and a copy of the police complaint reviewed by CPJ.

Khattak, a Bannu city-based correspondent for ARY News and a former president of the Bannu Press Club, was unharmed in the attack and the assailants fled the scene.

“Pakistani authorities must thoroughly investigate the attack on Ihsan Khattak’s home, identify the gunmen, and hold them to account,” said CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director Beh Lih Yi. “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become increasingly dangerous for journalists and this type of brazen intimidation cannot stand. Journalists must be able to work safely so they can provide the public with information.”

The shooting follows an incident on February 5 when Khattak was forced to flee in his car from three armed men on a motorbike who followed him home from a reporting assingment, he told CPJ.

On February 16, Bannu Police Department issued an advisory urging Khattak to adopt additional security measures, according to a copy of the document reviewed by CPJ.

In 2017, Khattak said he received threats from an unknown caller, prompting him to relocate to the capital Islamabad. After he returned to Bannu in 2023, the threats resumed, he said.

Bannu Deputy Inspector General of Police Sajjad Khan told CPJ an investigation had been launched into the attack, and that police were committed to ensuring security for all journalists.