Inaction over journalists’ murders lamented
QUETTA: No arrests have been made over the murders of three journalists, Irshad Mastoi, Abdul Rasool, and Muhammad Younas, in the city despite a lapse of 40 days after.
This was said by journalists who had gathered to commemorate their slain colleagues on the 40th day of their killing during a condolence reference held at the press club on Monday. Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ), Quetta Press Club and Media Joint Action Committee held the Condolence reference. BUJ’s President Irfan Saeed, President Press Club Quetta Raza ur Rehman, vice president of PFUJ Saleem Shahid and President of Media Joint Action Committee Shehzad Zulfiqar spoke on the occasion.
They lamented the government’s perceived helplessness to book the culprits and noted that 40 days have passed but the government “isn’t showing any seriousness” regarding the arrest of the cuprites involved in killings of their colleagues and seemed reluctant to book them. They said that they cannot sit quiet anymore because more than 40 journalists have been killed in Balochistan alone and they will have to intensify their protests across the province.
They said the government had not even paid compensation to the heirs of the 40 murdered journalists as yet.
The gathering said that they cannot forget the slain comrades after getting compensation sum but we urge the government to pay the announced compensation amount as soon as possible to provide some relief to the families.
They regarded Irshad Mastoin and other journalist lucky because not in Pakistan but around the world protests have been recorded against their killings.
“We are going to call a joint media session along with other media organizations and are also considering to stage hunger-strike till death and to close the newspaper services across the province,” they announced.
They urged the journalist community to show unity like they showed in past and prepare themselves for a third round of protests. Towards the end, journalists offered Fateha for the deceased souls.
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