ISLAMABAD: Mediapersons covering the budget session of the National Assembly on Monday staged a walkout from the press gallery to protest the killing of a journalist in Haripur on Sunday.

Minister of State for Information Marryam Aurangzeb visited the press lounge and assured the protesting mediapersons that the family of the deceased journalist, Baksheesh Elahi, would be compensated under the Prime Minister’s Fund for Journalists. The federal government will also take steps for the education of his two children.

The journalists demanded a judicial inquiry into the murder and informed the minister about the difficult environment they had been discharging their duties.

The minister told the protesters that maintenance of peace falls under the domain of the provincial government which should hold an inquiry into the matter. In case the KP government wanted help from the centre, the federal government is ready to form a commission, she added.

After the assurance of the minister, the journalists returned to the press gallery.

Ruling party MNA from Haripur Babar Zaman demanded an inquiry into the incident.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2017