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Umar Cheema

Pakistani journalist

Field	Value
name	Umar Cheema
birth_date
nationality	Pakistani
occupation	Journalist
organization	The News
awards	International Press Freedom Award

Umar Cheema () is a journalist and investigative reporter for the Pakistani newspaper The News. In 2008, he won a Daniel Pearl Journalism Fellowship, becoming the first Pearl fellow to work at The New York Times.

Education

Cheema holds a master's degree in mass communication from Punjab University in Lahore. He also attended London School of Economics as a Chevening Scholar (Chevening Scholarship), doing M.Sc. in Comparative Politics (Conflict studies).

Career

Cheema's investigative reporting on sensitive issues of corruption and military interference in politics has made him many powerful enemies.

Kidnapping

On 4 September 2010, he was abducted, beaten, flogged and sexually assaulted by a group of assailants. They also shaved his head, eyebrows, and mustache. Cheema reported that his attackers asked him if he was trying to discredit the government with his reporting, leading him to believe that they were from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Aftermath

Following the incident, The New York Times issued an editorial, calling on the Pakistani government to find out who abducted Mr. Cheema and bring them to justice." In his acceptance speech, Cheema thanked the group for its "recognition of the bold work Pakistani media is doing". On 14 April 2011, Cheema also received the Tully Center Free Speech Award of Syracuse University.

Cheema is the father of a son and a daughter. Adil, his son, was two years old when Cheema was abducted.

References

(23 December 2011). "The Perils of Journalism in Pakistan: Living in Fear of Intelligence Agents". Der Spiegel.
(2012). "Daniel Pearl Foundation". [[Daniel Pearl Foundation]].
"ICIJ member Umar Cheema". The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
(21 February 2022). "Suisse secrets: Hundreds of Pakistanis included in Swiss bank leak". www.geo.tv.
(7 June 2011). "The silencing crime: Sexual violence and journalists". Committee to Protect Journalists.
(2010-09-28). "Who Attacked Umar Cheema?". [[The New York Times]].
Bob Dietz. (9 September 2010). "The significance of Umar Cheema's abduction". [[Committee to Protect Journalists]].
(2011). "CPJ International Press Freedom Awards 2011". Committee to Protect Journalists.
Umar Cheema. (22 November 2011). "Acceptance Speech". Committee to Protect Journalists.
(14 April 2011). "Pakistani journalist Umar Cheema receives free speech award at Syracuse University". Syracuse Post-Standard.
Umar Cheema. (11 June 2011). "Dying to Tell the Story". [[The New York Times]].

Info: Wikipedia Source

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