It was a regular day in March 2022 when every journalist in the newsroom I was working in simultaneously received a WhatsApp message. The message, sent by a reporter, said that militants had attacked a mosque in Peshawar.
Soon the newsroom was abuzz with activity. Television sets were turned up to maximum volume, and loud voices filled the room. As reporters hurriedly prepared breaking-news updates, live coverage of the incident started to stream in.
The death toll began to rise. Eventually, it would be reported that at least 58 people were killed and over 190 injured. The attack occurred at a Shia imambargah, or congregation hall, but sub-editors were asked to remove the words "Shia" and "imambargah" from their stories.
"Why are we removing the identity of the victim?" I asked.