QUETTA: Journalists marched on the roads of Quetta on Sunday evening to mourn the killing of colleagues.

Journalists took out a rally from Quetta Press Club which turned into a protest demonstration at Governor's House Chowk after passing through different roads of the city.

The protestors demanded the arrest of those involved in the killing of three journalists in the province on Thursday and lashed out at law enforcement for their failure to stop the targeted killings of newsmen.

"We will intensify our protest if our colleagues' murderers are not apprehended," Irfan Saeed, the President Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) told the protesting media men.

Irshad Mastoi, the Bureau Chief of Online news agency, Abdul Rasool Khajjak, reporter of the agency and accountant Muhammad Younas were killed by armed militants on Thursday.

Armed men had barged into the agency's office and killed all three newsmen in Kabir Building area of Jinnah road Quetta. The incident sparked severe criticism of law enforcement agencies in the provincial capital.

Members of Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) and Quetta Press Club were wearing black arm-bands to mourn the killing of three colleagues.

They chanted full-throated slogans i.e. "Protect journalists", "Long live Freedom of Expression", "Salute to the martyrs of journalism", etc during the protest demonstration.

The journalists later decided to boycott all government functions in protest over the journalists killing.

"We can go to any extent in pursuit of justice," Shehzada Zulfiqar, a senior journalist told Dawn.com. "This impunity is a major contributing factor in the killing of journalists," Zulfiqar stated.

The BUJ and QPC members decided to intensity their protest movement in future to press the authorities to arrest the killers.

Chief Minister Balochistan, Dr. Malik Baloch, Information Minister Rahim Ziaratwal visited QPC and offered fateha for the departed souls.

Dr. Baloch assured the journalist’s community that the culprits behind the killing would be apprehended.

Meanwhile on Saturday, journalists had staged a walk out from Balochistan Assembly session.

Their full-throated slogans could not draw the attention of legislators who preferred not to console with protesting media men outside the Assembly building.

"We boycotted the session as part of ongoing protest," Abdul Khaliq Baloch, the Secretary General Quetta Press Club told Dawn.com.

"Here our protest falls on deaf ears," Khaliq Baloch said, adding that it was ironic that no legislator came out to speak to the protesting journalists.

Opinion

Editorial

By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...
Not without reform
Updated 22 Apr, 2024

Not without reform

The problem with us is that our ruling elite is still trying to find a way around the tough reforms that will hit their privileges.
Raisi’s visit
22 Apr, 2024

Raisi’s visit

IRANIAN President Ebrahim Raisi, who begins his three-day trip to Pakistan today, will be visiting the country ...
Janus-faced
22 Apr, 2024

Janus-faced

THE US has done it again. While officially insisting it is committed to a peaceful resolution to the...