PESHAWAR, Oct 13: Journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata on Sunday took to the streets against the murder of their colleague in Karak and demanded arrest of his killers.
In Lakki Marwat, mediapersons marched from the main bus stand to the Kargil chowk where speakers condemned the killing of Ayyub Khattak in Karak and attack on another journalist, Sardar Shafiq in Abbottabad.
They carried placards inscribed with slogans demanding provision of protection to the journalists and arrest of the killers of Mr Khattak.
They said targeting of journalists had become common in Pakistan especially in the militancy hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, creating a sense of insecurity among journalists.
In Ghalanai, local journalists, members of civil society and workers of political parties organised a protest, asking the government to order judicial probe into the incident.
In Landi Kotal, the Khyber chapter of Tribal Union of Journalists organised a protest demonstration in Jamrud and demanded arrest of the killers of Ayub Khttak.
Led by Sajid Afridi, president of the TUJ, Khyber chapter, the protesting journalists chanted slogans against the KP government for failing to provide protection to mediapersons.
They demanded an impartial inquiry into the murder of Ayub Khattak and urged the provincial government to compensate his family.
Meanwhile, Khyber Union of Journalists president Nisar Mehmood, general secretary Tariq Affaq, Peshawar Press Club president Nasir Hussain, and general secretary Yousuf Ali, in their separate statements issued in Peshawar on Sunday said killing of Ayub Khattak and attack on Sardar Shafiq were glaring examples of increasing lawlessness in the province.
They said according to local sources drug smugglers were behind the cold blooded murder of the journalist, and asked the concerned police to arrest the perpetrators at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Syed Bukhar Shah, patron of Journalists Welfare, Safety and Development Foundation, also expressed his shock over the tragic incident and said mediapersons were exposed to attacks and that it was government’s duty to protect them against such attacks. He asked the government to announce compensation to the family of Ayub Khattak and also to the injured journalist, Sardar Shafiq.
