Rome, Dec 19 (IANS/AKI): UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay on Thursday deplored journalist Urooj Iqbal's murder last month in the Pakistan's Lahore and urged the country's authorities to investigate the killing

"I condemn the murder of journalist Urooj Iqbal," said Azoulay in a statement.

"Women journalists around the world face significant threats, both to their physical safety and to their right to freedom of expression. It is important to state clearly that femicide cannot be tolerated," the statement added.

According to media reports, Iqbal was found dead, shot in the head on November 25, in the building in Lahore where she lived.

Iqbal had recently told the police that she had received threats from her husband, who had also pressured her to give up her profession as a journalist.

The murder took place on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, underlining importance of taking action against threats against women journalists, the statement said.