LARKANA: Protests were held and rallies staged in parts of Sindh on Tuesday to condemn the brutal murder of senior journalist Jan Muhammed Mahar in Sukkur by unknown armed motorcyclists.

Journalists from different parts of Larkana gathered on the call of Larkana Press Club (LPC) and took out a procession in the lead of club president Murtaza Kalhoro, and general secretary Naveed Larik.

Addressing the demonstrators, the leaders alleged that under a conspiracy, journalists and intellectuals were being targeted in Sindh and killed whereas the government sat as a silent spectator. Saying that the newsmen felt themselves insecure while performing duties, they criticised the Sukkur police’s ‘immature’ stance that Jan Muhammed Mahar had fallen victim to an old enmity.

In Sukkur, journalists, advocates and civil and rights activists staged demonstrations over the tragic murder.

The Sukkur Union of Journalists organised protest demonstrations before the Sukkur Press Club, also participated by lawyers, businessmen and people from other walks of life from Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Nawabshah and Mirpurkhas.

Addressing the protesters, Federal Union of Journalists finance secretary Lala Asad Pathan and senior journalists, including Choudhri Irshad Gondal from Sukkur, Waheed Rajpar from Karachi, and others from different cities highlighted the services of Jan Mohammad Mahar.

The protesters demanded a transparent judicial inquiry into the murder of Mahar and demanded formation of a committee that must have journalists and lawyers as its members.

A protest was also held at the Kandhkot Press Club. In Khairpur and other districts of upper Sindh, rallies were taken out and protests were staged over the tragic murder of bold journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2023