President BUJ Irfan Saeed, President Quetta Press Club Raza-ur-Rehman, Central leaders of Federal Union of Journalists including Saleem Shahid and Shehzada Zulfiqar remained in the hunger strike camp. Besides, a large number of journalists from all electronic and print media organizations participated in the camp.

Chief Minister Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, MPAs, representatives of lawyers’ fraternity, leaders of various political parties and the members of civil society visited the camp to express solidarity with the media fraternity.

Balochistan Union of Journalists had announced ten days’ mourning following the killing of its General Secretary Irshad Mastoi, trainee reporter Rasool and media worker Mohammad Younus.

Hunger strike camp is part of activities decided in the executive body of the BUJ to lodge protest and press the government for the arrest of the perpetrators and provision of security to the media fraternity.—APP

Business Recorder

Those killed included Irshad Mustoi, Bureau Chief, Abdul Rasool Khajjak, reporter and Muhammad Younas, accountant. They were working in their office when armed men barged in at about 7:45 and opened fire and left the crime scene. No one has so far clamed responsibility for the attack.

Khajjak and Younas died instantly while Irshad was critically injured and died on way to hospital. The bodies were shifted to the hospital and initial examination showed that they suffered fatal bullet wounds in chest and head.

Mustoi, 35-year-old was also working as Assignment Editor of ARY News television channel. He was also General Secretary of Balochistan Union of Journalist (BUJ). The deceased left behind a widow, two daughters and a one year-old son.

Abdul Rasool Khajjak was a final year student of Mass Communication at Balochistan University. He had completed a three-month internship in the news agency and now working as a reporter.

Mohammad Younas was serving as an accountant in the news agency for a number of years.

President Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and other journalist unions across the country have condemned the murders and called for immediate arrest of the killers. PFUJ has announced to observe a ‘black day’ on August 29, 2014. Quetta Press Club (QPC) has also announced a three-day mourning.

Pakistan Press Foundation