May 24, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 18, 1429

BAJAUR AGENCY, May 23: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has denied any role in the murder of journalist Mohammad Ibrahim.

After the funeral of the journalist on Friday naib amir of the Tehrik Maulvi Faqir Mohammad said that the Taliban would investigate the murder and avenge it.

Mr Ibrahim, a reporter of Express TV, was gunned down near Inayat Kali on Thursday when he was returning to his village after interviewing TTP spokesman Maulvi Mohammad Umar.

“We swear by Allah Almighty that we don’t have any role in Ibrahim’s murder. We want an end to injustices against all people, including journalists,” Maulvi Faqir told reporters at Bai Cheena village near Khar.

He said the Taliban were determined to abide by the ceasefire agreement they had signed with the government.

“If we carry out any such action we make a public announcement,” he said.

The North Waziristan chapter of the Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) urged the government on Friday to pay Rs2 million compensation to the bereaved family and Rs30,000 monthly stipend to the victim’s children.

TUJ members held a protest march and announced three-day mourning for the slain journalist.

They criticised Bajaur Agency’s political administration for announcing a compensation of only Rs100, 000.

Members of the Mohammadzai Union of Journalists in Charsadda held a demonstration and urged the government to bring the killers to book.

They said journalists were being targeted under a plan and it was the duty of the government to protect them so that they could do their professional job fearlessly.

AP adds: Addressing about 5,000 tribesmen who had gathered for the funeral, Maulvi Faqir said his group would keep fighting foreign forces in Afghanistan.

He said the group would observe truce as long as its talks with the Pakistan government continued.

“We will not attack government positions and anyone carrying out such an attack will be treated as an enemy,” he said.

But, he said, the western troops in Afghanistan remained a legitimate target. “We are Muslims and enemies of infidels. We will continue our jihad in Afghanistan as long as the foreign allied forces are there.”

Our Correspondent in Quetta adds: Members of the Balochistan Union of Journalists staged a demonstration in protest against the journalist’s murder and demanded that the government should arrest the killers and punish them.

They called for steps for protecting journalists and said that acts of violence would not force them to compromise on media freedom.