09 February 2005	Wednesday	29 Zilhaj 1425

PESHAWAR, Feb 8: Two journalists, who were shot dead on Monday, were buried in their native villages in South Waziristan on Tuesday.

Allah Noor Wazir and Mir Nawab Wazir died when the vehicle they were riding was fired at by get unidentified assailants in Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan tribal agency.

Allah Noor Wazir, correspondent of Pushto TV channel AVT Khyber, was buried in his native town Karikot whereas Mir Nawab, who worked for the APTN and daily The Frontier Post, was buried in his ancestral graveyard in Ghwaha, South Waziristan. A large number of journalists and local tribesmen attended the funeral.

Eyewitnesses said that personnel of paramilitary forces and khasadar stood at about 50 meters from the place where the ambush had taken place but they did not respond to the firing.

Meanwhile, different organisations held demonstrations in front of the Governor House to register their protest over the killing of journalists. A procession was jointly organised by the Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) and APNEC which started from the Peshawar Press Club and terminated in front of the Governor House.

The protesters were accompanied by JUI's Abdul Jalil Jan, PML-N's provincial vice president Rehmat Salam Khattak, Nasrullah Khan of the Tribal Union of Journalists, and Tariq Khan of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

On the occasion, the speakers slammed the government for its failure to provide protection to journalists. They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the government. They said that such attacks on press reporters amounted to restraining them from carrying out their professional responsibilities. They said a role of the government in the gruesome incident could not be ruled out

The speakers asked the government to hold an immediate probe into the matter to fix the responsibility of these two deaths. They urged that NWFP Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah and Corpse Commander Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain to visit the homes of the slain journalists to comfort their families. They demanded of the government to pay compensation to the bereaved families.

Our Landi Kotal correspondent adds: The Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) has condemned the brutal killing of two journalists near Wana.

In an emergency meeting held at Landi Kotal Press Club on Tuesday, the Landi Kotal chapter of TUJ took serious notice of the incident and alleged that vested interests in the area were at work to sabotage the peace agreement between the government and Baitullah Mehsood.

The meeting, through a resolution, demanded of the government to track down the culprits and award them exemplary punishment. Through another resolution the authorities were urged to ensure security to the media men.

Later journalists wearing black armbands took out a protest procession and marched up to the offices of local political administration. They were carrying placards inscribed with slogans condemning the cool blooded murder of their colleagues.