According to media reports, unidentified gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on Abid while he was in a hairdresser’s shop. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. Abid received one bullet in the head and five others in other parts of his body.

The Balochistan Union of Journalists condemned the targeted killing of Abid, calling it “an attack on the media in Balochistan”. Talking to Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), Eesa Tareen, President of the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ), said Pakistan has become the most risky country for journalists, especially for those working in the restive areas including Balochistan. He said BUJ and representatives of other journalists’ organizations were planning to hold demonstrations and rallies protesting against the brutal killing of journalists from November 20 onwards.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the President of the Quetta Press Club Saleem Shahid and journalists working with Dunya TV condemned the killing of their colleague and demanded stern action by the government against the killers. The President of Pakistan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Chief Minister of Balochistan province and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also strongly condemned the killing of the journalist. The Chief Minister announced compensation of Rs1 million (approx. US$10,395) for the bereaved family and ordered the law-enforcement agencies to arrest the killers.

Tareen of the BUJ said Abid belonged to a poor family, which is why he was working with two media organisations. He left behind a paralyzed father, sisters, two brothers and an ailing old mother. He was the only bread winner for his family. According to Abid’s family, he had no personal enmity with anyone.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

He was abducted at around six pm on May 29, while he was on his way to participate in a television talk show to discuss his investigative report published on May 27 for “Asia Times Online” which said that al-Qaeda had launched a deadly assault on a naval base (Pakistan Naval Station Mehran) in Karachi, the headquarters of the navy’s air wing, on 22 May because talks had failed over the release of several naval personnel arrested on suspicion of links to the militant group’s affiliates.

Ali Dayan Hasan of Human Rights Watch said that Shahzad had previously warned that his life was in danger from the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence agency). In October 2010, Shahzad sent Human Rights Watch an email saying he was afraid he would be killed by the ISI, Hasan claimed.

President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani issued routine statements expressing deep grief and sorrow and ordered an enquiry into the kidnapping and murder of the journalist. Previous enquiries into the murders of journalists have not been made public and it is not clear if the fate of this enquiry would be any different.

Shahzad leaves behind his wife and three children.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

The explosion occurred when Afridi came out of the offices of the Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ), where he was a regular visitor, and entered his car. The device exploded, leaving behind a completely gutted vehicle and a crater in the road. The body of the deceased was burnt beyond recognition. A few other vehicles were damaged and windowpanes of nearby buildings were smashed. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain, minister of information of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said this was a case of a targeted attack and that militants have been killing journalists. He said that the authorities’ war against militancy would continue and it was their resolve to eliminate militants as they were killing innocent citizens.

Afridi had transferred from Khyber Agency to Hayatabad town in Peshawar along with his family a few years ago after receiving threats by a leader of the Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI), a Bara-based militant organisation. On May 26, 2007 unidentified persons lobbed two hand grenades at Afridi’s house, damaging the boundary wall and veranda. No one was injured in that incident.

TUJ President Safdar Hayat told PPF that militant organizations did not like Afridi because of his investigative reporting on militants in Pakistan’s Tribal region. Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Arshad Aziz Malik told PPF that Afridi was constantly threatened by militant organizations, including LeI and Ansarul Islam (AI).

Afridi had been practicing journalism for the last ten years and was president of the Bara Press Club. He leaves behind three sons, three daughters and a widow. A son and a daughter are deaf and dumb and another boy lives with mental retardation.

In a joint statement, KhUJ President Malik and General Secretary Yousaf Ali, Peshawar Press Club President Saiful Islam Saifi and General Secretary Shahid Hameed strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the journalist. They said that the government has failed to protect the lives of journalists across the country despite pressing demands by the representative bodies of the media people.

A large number of journalists from print and electronic media staged a protest demonstration after the funeral prayer of the journalist and urged authorities to punish the culprits.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Federal Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan have strongly condemned the death of Afridi. Prime Minister Gilani ordered the authorities to launch an inquiry into the incident.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

Around 39 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the blasts. Police investigators believe the first low intensity bomb was planted as a trap to target mostly the police and journalists who were expected to come to the site of the explosion.

Eight journalists including Dunya TV bureau chief Saifullah Gul, Dunya TV reporter Imran Bukhari, a young intern at the daily “The News” named Shafiullah, “The News” sub-editor Barkatullah Marwat, Geo TV reporter Qazi Fazlullah, AVT Khyber cameraman Hashim Ali and two reporters for the daily “Akhbar-i-Khyber”, Sheheryar and Riaz, were among the injured. Shafiullah is in critical condition at the Burn Care Centre in Wah Cantt. The other injured journalists were listed in stable condition after receiving treatment.

According to press reports, a low-intensity blast caused by a small explosive planted in a toilet at the Lala Restaurant at 11:45 p.m. drew rescue workers and police to the scene. The offices of several electronic and print media are also located in the densely populated area and, as such, journalists who work and reside there also rushed to the spot. A few minutes later, a large explosion rocked the area when a man on a motorbike detonated his “suicide vest”, causing a high number of casualties. The second blast left the nearby plazas badly damaged and smashed the windowpanes of several other buildings. The dead and injured were taken to Lady Reading Hospital.

Abdul Haq, of the bomb disposal squad, said that two kilograms of low-quality explosive material were planted at the restaurant. He said the suicide bomber used about 12 kg of explosives mixed with ball bearings.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have denied responsibility for the blasts. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said they did not carry out the attack.

On 22 December 2009, Naveed survived a suicide bombing that ripped through the Peshawar Press Club. He sustained minor injuries in that incident. He was also previously struck by a speeding bus, resulting in fractures in one of his legs. Following that incident, he was hospitalised for several weeks and lost his job. He recently began his new position at “Akhbar-i-Khyber”. His parents are no longer living and he was unmarried. He left behind two sisters. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned the blasts in Peshawar. In a statement, PFUJ Secretary-General Amin Yousuf said it was another dark day for the journalists’ community as one more colleague lost his life in the line of duty. He said journalists risk their lives in their quest for truth, without caring about their own safety. PFUJ President Pervaiz Shaukat demanded that the organisations and media outlets for which journalists who have been killed or injured worked compensate their families.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) and the Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) also condemned the blasts and called on the government to take steps to protect media personnel. In a press statement, KhUJ president Arshad Aziz Malik and secretary general Yousaf Ali said that the area in which the blasts took place is dominated by newspaper and television station offices. In an emergency meeting chaired by its president, Safdar Hayat Dawar, and general secretary, Hairan Mohmand, the TUJ demanded compensation for the families of the victims.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

According to press reports, Babar was returning home from the Geo News office after performing his professional responsibilities, when two assailants on motorcycle intercepted his car at 9:21 p.m. and shot him five times through the driver’s window at close range. Eyewitnesses told journalists that Babar’s car was stopped by the attackers who, after confirming his identity, shot him dead.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Sultan Khawaja, ruled out attempted robbery as the motive behind the firing, saying “it appeared to be a premeditated murder”.

Although they were not able to pinpoint the exact reason for his death, a number of his senior colleagues at Geo News believe that Babar was killed as a result of his journalistic work. Azhar Abbas, Managing Director of the Geo Television Network, said that they don’t know who is behind this, but they definitely take it as a message for the entire media community. He added that this reflects a dangerous trend of intolerance aimed at targeting the media personnel who reveal the truth.

No one has claimed responsibility for the murder. The Police have lodged a criminal complaint filed by the deceased’s brother, Muhammad Khan Babar.

Babar leaves behind his widowed mother, three sisters and four brothers. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the killing of Babar and decided to observe a country-wide ‘black day’ on Friday 14 January 2011, by staging protest rallies and hoisting black flags in the offices of journalists’ unions and press clubs to express their resentment.

The PFUJ said this incident has once again proved that working conditions in Pakistan for media practitioners are neither conducive nor safe and the killing of media persons has become the order of the day. The PFUJ further pointed out that despite the repeated killings of media persons, none of the killers has so far been brought to justice. This situation of impunity speaks volumes about the violence and lawlessness in which media persons are forced to perform their professional assignments without any security, insurance, or training.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

Khan is the second journalist to have died as a result of the bomb blasts. Journalist Asfandyar Abid Naveed had died on the spot. Seven other journalists sustained minor injuries in the twin blasts.

With the demise of another journalist, the overall casualties have risen to 42. Police investigators believe the first low intensity bomb was planted as a trap to target mostly the police and journalists who were expected to come to the site of the explosion.

Khan had recently completed an MA in Journalism from Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan and had joined the paper a week before the deadly attack. Khan joined other journalists in rushing to the scene of the first low-intensity blast in the toilet of a restaurant, just a few metres from the newspaper’s office, and fell victim to the subsequent suicide attack, when a man on a motorbike detonated his “suicide vest”, causing a high number of casualties.

He had received third degree burns and was transferred to the Khyber Teaching Hospital’s (KTH) burn unit. His elder brother Azizullah, who is an officer at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad, shifted him to the Pakistan Ordnance Factories’ (POF) Hospital in Wah Cantonment, where a specialized burn care centre exists. Doctors said he also received metal shrapnel in his right shoulder.

Journalists across Pakistan have condemned the blasts and asked the government to provide protection to journalists and compensation to Khan’s family.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar and Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti expressed deep grief and sorrow over the demise of Khan.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

Rind disappeared from his hometown Hub in southern Balochistan on September 9. His body was found with torture marks and multiple gunshot wounds. It is not yet clear whether his death relates to his work as a journalist.

The discovery of the body of Rind, who was also a member of the pro-independence Baloch National Movement (BNM), comes after seven other abducted Balochi nationalist activists’ bodies were found on November 3 and 4, according to local news reports.

The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ), a PFUJ affiliate, made repeated calls for Rind’s release after his disappearance and are now calling on authorities to conduct a full investigation into his abduction and murder.

“Authorities must act swiftly to end this cycle of violence and impunity in what is statistically one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

“The IFJ supports calls for an immediate inquiry into the death of Javed Naseer Rind, and all other journalists abducted, tortured and killed in Balochistan.”

Balochistan was the most dangerous region of the most dangerous country in the world for journalists in 2010. Of 97 journalists killed worldwide last year, 15 died in Pakistan. Of that number, six deaths were reported in Balochistan.

At least two other journalists have been killed in Balochistan this year. Ilyas Nazar, a journalist with the Baloch-language magazine Darwanth, was found dead in Pidarak, Balochistan, on January 5. Like Rind, Nazar had been killed by a gunshot wound to the head, and his body bore signs of torture.

Online News Network correspondent Muneer Shakir was shot dead on August 14 as he headed home from Khuzdar’s press club.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, reports that Sasoli was shot by two unidentified motorcyclists as he stepped out of his car, after returning home from the press club. He was taken to hospital by his family after sustaining bullet wounds to the head and chest, but died before he could receive medical attention, according to local media reports.

The motive for the killing was not clear.

“Balochistan has become a notoriously dangerous location in which to work as a journalist, with a death toll for 2010 that surpasses most countries,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

“Of grave concern is the shameful lack of action by authorities to investigate these murders and bring those responsible to justice.”

Faiz Mohammad Sasoli, a former president of the same press club, was murdered in similar circumstances on June 27. Journalists in Khuzdar claim that all members of the club face threats from militant Baloch autonomy movements, the PFUJ reports.

No arrests have been made for the murder of Faiz, or the abduction and murder of Abdul Hameed Hayatan, whose body was found near Turbat in Balochistan on November 18. Hayatan was allegedly abducted by state security agents before his death.

“The IFJ supports the demands of the PFUJ that the Government of Balochistan dedicate all necessary resources to arresting and punishing the killers of these journalists, and bring an end to impunity for media killings,” Park said.

Mohammad Khan Sasoli is survived by his wife and son.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

According to press reports, Wahab, 35, and Khan, 28, were present at the office of an assistant politician when the two suicide attackers blew themselves up in the midst of a large crowd of people that included tribal elders and community volunteers. According to reports, the two suicide bombers approached the office of Political Agent Amjad Ali Khan on motorbikes. The first suicide bomber blew himself up inside the office, while the second one set off explosives when guards caught him in the compound of the office.

Amjad Ali Khan, Political Agent and the top political official in Mohmand, said that the suicide bombers were dressed in paramilitary uniforms. One of the reasons the attacks were so deadly, he said, was because the bombers had filled their suicide jackets with bullets. He said it was prayer time and some people had gone to the mosque, otherwise the casualty figure would have been much higher.

The blast badly damaged the agency administration offices and the adjacent buildings. Soon after the blast, heavy contingents of security forces and Khasadar Force personnel rushed to the site and cordoned off the area. The injured people were rushed to Agency Headquarter Hospital and Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility for the attack and termed it a reaction to the military operation in the Teshil Safi area of Mohmand Agency. Taliban leader Umer Khalid also threatened more attacks on anyone joining military operations against them.

Khan leaves behind two sons, two daughters and a wife. Wahab was a former general-secretary of Ghalanai Press Club. He is survived by a widow and two daughters. Injured journalist Ali was admitted to Peshawar hospital with injuries to his hand, abdomen and back.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain condemned the suicide blasts and termed them inhuman acts of terrorism.

The editor of “Daily Nawa-i-Waqt” and editor-in-chief of the daily “The Nation”, Majid Nizami, and the staff members of the media group have expressed their sorrow and grief over Khan’s death.

On 6 December, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) reiterated its demand that parliamentarians immediately devise a Media Practitioners’ Protection and Media Managers Responsibilities’ Act to protect the lives of journalists and media workers.

The PFUJ announced it would observe a three-day mourning period, hoist black flags and hold condolence meetings at press clubs, offices of affiliated unions of journalists and at news centres throughout the country.

The PFUJ also demanded that the victims’ families be compensated forthwith.

The Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ), National Press Club Islamabad and the press clubs of Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta also paid tribute to the journalists. The TUJ president Ibrahim Shinwari said that journalists, especially in the tribal areas, had been working in harsh conditions as almost all the tribal areas have turned into conflict zones.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation

According to press reports, Orakzai may have been assassinated for publishing news stories about militants’ activities. He had recently received threats from the militants after reporting on their activities.

Orakzai was entering the press club in the morning when three unknown men opened fire on him. The assailants escaped the scene without being challenged by police.

Orakzai received one bullet in his heart. He was taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Hangu where he succumbed to his injuries. A criminal complaint has been registered against the unidentified armed men.

Orakzai, 48, had been working as a journalist for about three decades. He was also a social worker in the area and played an active role in highlighting local problems. He reported for “Jinnah” daily newspaper in Islamabad and the daily “Mashriq” in Peshawar.

Talking to PPF, his son Umer Farooq, himself a journalist who works as a reporter for the daily “Ausaf”, said his father had been receiving threats for quite some time through telephone calls, and his office had been attacked three times.

No one has claimed responsibility for Orakzai’s killing.

The Hangu Union of Journalists, the Hangu Press Club and the Tribal Union of Journalists condemned Orakzai’s murder and announced a three-day mourning period. They also set a three-day deadline for the administration to arrest the killers.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) also staged a protest demo at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) to condemn the killing of Orakzai. Members of the union demanded the arrest of the journalist’s killers and security for others. The demonstration was led by Syed Bukhar Shah, the president of KhUJ, and Shamim Shahid, the president of PPC.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has also strongly condemned the Orakzai’s killing. In a statement, PFUJ also demanded that the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province compensate the deceased’s family, which includes his widow, six sons and five daughters.

PFUJ noted with deep concern the government’s apathy in protecting the lives and property of journalists, adding that this incident once again makes it clear that the lives of media workers in conflict areas are not safe, and killing media workers has become the order of the day.

Saiful Islam Kakakhail, the president of Hangu Press Club, told PPF that members of the press club arranged an emergency meeting at the office of Misri Khan News Agency. Hangu District Police Officer (DPO) Abdur Rashid Khan, who also attended the meeting, said that a police team has been formed to arrest the killers. He assured the journalists that the police force would find the culprits.

President Asif Ali Zardari and the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira, have condemned the killing. The President termed it a “heinous and despicable act of terrorism”.

By: Pakistan Press Foundation