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Sadaf Naeem (Urdu, صدف نعیم) was a Pakistani journalist. She worked as a news reporter with Channel 5, a Pakistani TV Channel. She had also worked as a model and TV host in different TV channels. Sadaf died on 30 October 2022 in an accident after falling from a container during the Azadi March of the Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf (PTI) from GT Road, Lahore to Kamoke, Gujranwala.

Life and career
Sadaf was born in 1982 in Ichhra, Lahore, Punjab, and started her career as a model on different TV shows but later she joined Khabrain Media Group and was at Channel 5 since 2009. She had two brothers and one sister. Sadaf was married to the press photographer Naeem Bhatti and the mother of a son and a daughter.

Death
She died in an accident on 30 October 2022 after falling to death. She was on her live coverage duty covering Imran Khan's Azadi March. It is common that reporters are invited up on the trucks. While trying to cover the march in close proximity, she tried to climb a shipping container aiming for an interview with Imran Khan. Similarly as she did the day before. After she fell on the ground she was run over by the truck carrying Imran Khan. Even though an ambulance was called for and she was rushed to the nearby hospital she was pronounced dead on arrival. A journalist reported that a guard belonging to the protest pushed her before she fell. Her husband deemed her death an accident and signed a letter refraining from pressing charges to Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal, a Minister of the Punjab Government. She was buried in Lahore on the 31 October.

Investigation
The Pakistani Minister of the Interior Rana Sanaullah deemed the Punjabi administration responsible to carry out a proper investigation. Following, a fact finding commission to investigate death of Sadaf Naeem was announced by the Punjabi Minister of Law Raja Basharat.

Domestic political reactions
After becoming aware of her death, Imran Khan announced a stop to his Azadi March for the rest of the day. The next day Khan, accompanied by PTI party officials, visited her family's residence in order to offer condolences to her family. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif shared condolences with her family on Twitter and announced Rs. 5 million in financial aid for her family. Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi also expressed his condolences to the family and offered Naeems daughter and husband a job in some department of the regional public administration. Elahi also delivered them a cheque over Rs. 50 millions and the Punjabi Government decided to invesitage the causes of Naeems death. Other Pakistani officials assured the state would cover the costs of Naeems children upbringing and education.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) however, questioned Imran Khan if dead journalists were his "revolution". Politicians of the Pakistani Government such as Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique accused the Punjabi administartion that it has coerced Sadafs husband from pressing charges.

International
Referring to her death, the UNESCO General Secretary Audrey Azoulay deplored the incident and raised concerns on the working conditions for journalists in general.

Reactions from journalists
Journalists in Pakistan were wondering if Sadef Naeems death could have been prevented if media companies had invested more in the safety of their journalists. The Pakistan Press Foundation saw her death as a caused by the non-implementation of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act. The bill mandates that media organizations must provide journalists with safety training before they can be sent to work in any location. According to the journalist watchdog Freedom Network the law was passed in 2021, but has not come into force since the committe supervising the law, has not been established yet.