Islamabad, Dec 2 (IANS): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the northwest tribal province of Pakistan, is the most dangerous place for journalists in the country, as 14 of them have been killed in the line of duty in the last 11 years.

Balochistan with 12 journalists murdered in the same period was ranked second, followed by Sindh with nine killings, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with eight, and Punjab and Islamabad with three each, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) said in a report.

The study titled "Murder of Pakistani Journalists from January 2002 to November 2012" said at least 48 journalists were killed in Pakistan in the last 11 years, and 35 of them were targeted because of their work.

Of the 48 journalists, 25 were shot, three killed in suicide attacks, seven in bomb blasts, nine abducted before murder, and four were killed in crossfire.

In 2012 alone, six journalists were killed across the country, the Daily Times reported.

Many others have been injured, threatened, coerced into silence, unjustly detained, abducted and beaten by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, militants, tribal and feudal lords, the report said. The number fo journalists thus ill-treated is not clear.

Over the last 10 years, the murder of Daniel Pearl, reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was the most high profile case, followed by that of Saleem Shahzad, a correspondent for the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online.