ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said on Monday that the murder of journalist Chishti Mujahid in Quetta on Saturday, allegedly by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), had given new dimensions to the rising trend of violence against journalists in Pakistan. Demanding an investigation, the organisation said this was the first incident in which any group had claimed responsibility of killing a journalist for his writing, irrespective of what he has written. “Its a dangerous trend, particularly in such a volatile situation and must be discouraged and condemned,” the PFUJ said. Information collected by the PFUJ revealed that Mujahid, who has been writing for the Akhbar-e-Jahan for the last 30 years, was killed for writing an article on the killing of Baloch nationalist leader Balaach Marri. “If the BLA’s claim is authentic, then killing a journalist may not help its cause. Such violence can prove counter-productive,” it said. The organisation said it was Mujahid’s out-of-context headline, and not his article itself, which had resulted in his death. It also appealed to the Akhbar-e-Jahan to pay proper compensation to the grieved family, and take safety measures for their staff. pr
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008 213story_13-2-2008_pg7_40 |
