The grenade attack on the offices of ARY TV in Islamabad represents yet another strike against freedom of expression in Pakistan, underscoring the growing peril faced by media workers in the course of their work, Amnesty International said today.
Two attackers riding a motorcycle threw a grenade and reportedly fired gunshots at the ARY TV offices late on Wednesday. A video editor at the station was injured by shrapnel from the blast.
“This is the latest, depressing addition to a series of brazen attacks in which media workers in Pakistan have been targeted for doing their jobs,” said Champa Patel, Director of Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Office.
Pamphlets left at the scene said the attack had been carried out by Islamic State Wilayah Khurasan, an armed group that claims allegiance to the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS), in retaliation for ARY TV’s reporting of Pakistani military offensives.
“Pakistani media workers can now add being bombed at their desks to a list of occupational hazards that already includes abduction, arbitrary arrest and detention, intimidation, killings, and harassment by state and non-state actors,” Champa Patel said.
“The purpose of these attacks is to intimidate and censor the press as a whole, cracking down on freedom of expression.”
Within the last two months, Islamic State Wilayah Khurasan has claimed responsibility for attacks on the offices of Dunya TV in Faisalabad in November 2015, and Din News in Lahore in December 2015. In total, at least two media workers were killed and six injured in connection to their work in 2015.
Media workers and journalists also face harassment and intimidation from state actors in Pakistan.
The attack on the ARY office comes a day after Pakistan’s paramilitary Rangers force entered and conducted a warrantless search of a New York Times journalist’s home in Islamabad. The government alleged the raid on Salman Masood’s home was part of a larger search operation in the area, but it has since emerged that only a couple of other houses in that neighbourhood were searched.
The Interior Minister ordered an inquiry into the search operation later the same day. Even so, the incident entailed not just an infringement to the journalist’s right to privacy but could also be perceived as a tactic to intimidate him for his work, a lot of which has included writing about current government and military policies.
Amnesty International urges the authorities to conduct a thorough, prompt and transparent investigation into this and other attacks against media workers and journalists, and to bring those responsible to account. The authorities must also ensure adequate protection to media workers, journalists and their families facing threats and attacks due to their legitimate work, while ensuring their independence.

Amnesty International

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the attack on the Islamabad office of the Pakistani television channel ARY News on Wednesday, January 13. The IFJ demands an immediate investigation into the attack by authorities.

According to ARY News, unidentified attackers hurled a hand grenade at the Islamabad bureau office of ARY News, on Wednesday evening, also firing gunshots injuring a non-linear editor. The assailants who were riding a motorbike, lobbed a hand grenade at the ARY News offices and fired several shots before security guards retaliated swiftly forcing the attackers to flee away. The attackers threw pamphlets claiming that the Islamic State’s Afghanistan chapter carried out the attack ‘in reaction to the channels coverage of on-going operation Zarb-e-Azb’. Zarb-e-Azb is a joint military offensive being conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant and terrorist groups.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Information Minister Pervez Rasheed and political leaders have denounced the attack and promised swift action.

In November, 2015, a similar attack took place as unidentified attackers hurled a hand grenade on the Faisalabad bureau office of Dunya News TV injuring three people. The attackers had also thrown pamphlets containing threats during the attack.

The IFJ said: “The attack on the offices of the ARY News in Pakistan is a cowardly act of terrorism; and is against the principle of free press and democracy. The IFJ condemns the attack, claimed by the ISIS’ Afghanistan chapter and urge the Pakistani government to take swift action to arrest the attackers as soon as possible.”

“The IFJ also urge the Pakistani government to provide security to media person and media houses to ensure no further attacks take place.”

International Federation of Journalists

Video editor of “ARY News” television channel was injured in attacked by militants of Islamic State (IS) on January 13, in Islamabad the capital of Pakistan.

The attackers on a motorcycle hurled a hand grenade and fired shots at the office. The security guard tried to catch the attackers but not succeeded. Omar Hayat, a Non-Linear Editor received head injury in the explosion. Window panes and glass door of the office were smashed.

The attackers left behind notes in English and Urdu that stated that the attack was by Islamic State Khurasan and was the reaction to the coverage of “ Zarb-e-Azb” operation by the Pakistan armed forces against militant groups. (The notes are attached)

The pamphlets read “Islamic State Wilayah Khurasan accepts the responsibility of this attack on the media,” and warned “If the media continues to hide and distort facts and serves as stenographers of ISPR (military’s public relations department), taking dictates and amplifying one-sided propaganda, then such a slave media is merely in extension of ISPR and hence we will treat it as a military institution and all its personnel as soldiers of the apostate Napak (Unclean) Army. So do not proclaim this as an attack on journalistic freedom.”

This was the third attack in less than two months on television channels by Islamic State Khurasan. The first was an attack by hand grenade at Faisalabad bureau office of “Dunya News” television channel on November 20, 2015 and injured two staffers. The second was on December 1, 2015 when IS militants hurled a hand grenade at Lahore office of “Din News” television channel and injured a staffer and two police constables.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took the notice of the attack at the television channel and directed the authorities to conduct an investigation and to provide security “ARY News”.

Pakistan Press Foundation

Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) strongly condemns the attack on DIN News Office in Lahore by unknown people. PBA termed this act an attempt to curb freedom of expression and to discourage media from performing its constitutional responsibilities.

PBA expresses complete solidarity with its member channel DIN News against this act of violence and demands from the Government an immediate action to apprehend the culprits. PBA reiterates and urges the Government to take proper and effective measures to provide protection to media. There have been similar attempts on other media houses as well in the recent past, but till now neither the culprits have been apprehended nor has there been any security arrangement made for media.

Business Recorder

ISLAMABAD: Terror revisited the federal capital on Wednesday evening when two persons riding a motorcycle hurled hand-grenade at the office of ARY News in Sector F-7/4, causing serious injuries to the driver of DSNG van.

Two persons riding a motorbike entered the office of the news channel from Service Road adjacent to Margalla College for Girls, F-7/4 and hurled hand-grenade/cracker at the channel office. In a bid to intercept the attacker, security guard, Umar, rushed to the attackers but they resorted to aerial firing.

Fear gripped the area after the explosion of the hand-grenade and staff of the channel remained stuck in their office as firing also followed the grenade explosion. Some eyewitnesses didn’t confirm the gun shooting however indicated that gun fire was shot by the security guards who rushed to the attackers to nab them but motorcyclists who intended to enter the office resorted to firing and rushed away from the scene.

The motorcyclists also dropped a letter at the site of the attack, which reads, “Responsibility of this attack is on the media. Our message is simple and clear. Stop siding with the army and government of Pakistan in their global crusade against Islam under the banner of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, by concealing facts. Stop concealing the operation and transgression of this army in the form of missing persons, mass arrests and torture of Ahle Sunnah and relatives of the accused. Stop concealing the numerous cases of arson, burglary and kidnap for ransom, from defenceless Ahle Sunnah belonging to weak backgrounds, by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), in the name of operation against terrorists. Stop covering-up the scale of destruction and massacres done through bombardment in Tribal Areas and Balochistan by the army and plight of IDPs. If the media continues to hide and distort facts and serves as stenographers of ISPR, taking dictates and amplifying one-sided propaganda, such a slave media is merely an extension of ISPR and hence we will treat it as a military institution and all its personnel as soldiers of the army. So do not proclaim this as an attack on journalism freedom.”

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif denouncing grenade attack at the channel office directed Islamabad IGP Islamabad and DCO to reach the site of the attack. Islamabad additional deputy commissioner said that security of media houses in the twin cities had been tightened and overall security of the twin cities had also been put on high alert.

As per electronic media reports ISIS (Daesh)-Afghanistan has claimed responsibility of grenade attack at the channel office. Political, journalists as well as social activists across the country condemned the attack.

The News

The television programme “Sar-e-Aam” of ARY News television channel produced a program on transport of weapons and explosives with connivance of corrupt railway officials. Instead of investigating the serious security lapse, the railway authorities registered a case of arms smuggling against the media team itself. ARY News said its program caught railway officials taking bribes to transport illegal weapons from Karachi to Lahore, ARY News reported.

General Manager Railways, Javed Anwar told the journalists that the railways employees guilty of transport of arms and explosives had been suspended.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Rana Azeem amd Secretary General Amin Yousuf strongly condemned attack and demand that the case should be withdrawn immediately.

Pakistan Press Foundation

The senior editorial staff, myself included, reluctantly agreed to the orders, which came from the CEO, because our jobs were on the line. Media groups in Pakistan are family-owned and make all decisions unilaterally — regardless of whether they concern marketing and finance or editorial content and policy — advancing their personal agendas through the influential mainstream outlets at their disposal. A majority of the CEOs and media house owners are businessmen, with no background (or interest) in the ethics of journalism. The owners and publishers make it very clear to their newsrooms and staff — including the editor — that any tilt or gloss they proscribe is non-negotiable. As a result, serious concerns persist about violence against and the intimidation of members of the media. In fact, Pakistan ranks 158 out of 180 countries in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index.

Yet there is also a more elusive problem within the country’s press landscape: the collusion of Pakistan’s powerful military and the nation’s media outlets. I experienced this first-hand while I worked as a journalist at the Express Tribune during the recent protests led by Khan, the populist cricketer-turned-politician, and Qadri, a Pakistani-Canadian cleric and soapbox orator.

During this time, the owners of Pakistani media powerhouses — namely ARY News, the Express Media Group, and Dunya News — received instructions from the military establishment to support the “dissenting” leaders and their sit-ins. The military was using the media to add muscle and might to the anti-government movement in an attempt to cut Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif down to size.

The media obliged.

At the Express Media Group, anything related to Khan and Qadri were inexorably the lead stories on the front page or the hourly news bulletin. I witnessed polls showing support for Sharif being censored, while news stories on the misconduct of the protesters, along with any evidence that support among the protestors for Khan and Qadri was dwindling, were axed. While the BBC was publishing stories about how Qadri’s protesters were allegedly being paid and Dawn, the leading English-language Pakistani newspaper — and the Express Tribune’s main competitor — was writing powerful editorials about the military’s role in the political crisis, we were making sure nothing negative about them went to print.

Day after day, my national editor told me about how he received frantic telephone calls late in the evening about what the lead story should be for the next day and what angle the article should take. First, we were told to focus on Khan. “Take this as Imran’s top quote,” “This should be in the headline,” “Take a bigger picture of him” were the specific directives given by the CEO. Shortly after, the news group’s owner was agitated that the newspaper had not been focusing enough on Qadri. We later found out that the military establishment was supporting the two leaders equally and the media was expected to do the same.

In their professional capacities, the editor and desk editors tried to put up a fight: they allowed some columns against the protests slip through; they did not extend the restrictions to publish against Khan and Qadri to the Web version of the newspaper; and they encouraged reporters to focus on the paper’s strengths, such as investigative and research-based reports. However, it was difficult for the staff to keep its spirits high with the CEO’s interference and his readiness to abide by the establishment’s instructions. To be sure, the dictates were never given to the senior editorial staff, of which I was a part, directly. They were instead relayed to the editor or the national editor (who heads the main National Desk) via the CEO and then forwarded to us.

People often speculate about the media-military collusion in Pakistan, but in the instance of the current political standoff in the federal capital, as well as the Geo News controversy — where the establishment was seen resorting to extreme methods, such as forcing cable operators to suspend Geo’s transmission and impelling competing media houses to publish news stories against Geo, to curtail the broadcast of the largest and most-watched television channel for accusing then-ISI chief Zaheer-ul-Islam of being behind the gun attack on Hamid Mir, its most-popular anchor — the media and the military worked hand-in-hand.

In most cases, it is common knowledge that the heavyweight broadcast anchors have strong ties to members of the military establishment, and they personally take direct instructions that are then conveyed to the owners of their respective media groups. This bias is often reflected in their coverage.

The anchors not only indulge in inaccurate reporting, but also shape political discourse against the democratically elected government and even the efficacy of democracy itself. Former Pakistani government officials have corroborated this by narrating their experience. One senior official told me: “Television anchors receive funds from the military establishment, if not the civilian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Today, all the Pakistani intelligence agencies and the military have media departments that ostensibly only disseminate background information and press briefings, but are actually guiding and managing discourses and the national narrative.”

And this narrative is pro-army. Consider one example in particular.

On Aug. 31, when Khan’s and Qadri’s protesters had stormed the Parliament’s gates, Mubasher Lucman, a television anchor for ARY News — now the most-watched TV channel in Pakistan after Geo’s transmission was illegally suspended — saluted the army during a live broadcast and invited the military to take over “and save the protesters and the country.” Earlier on Aug. 25, he welcomed the “sound of boots” (a reference to the military), as he had no sympathy for corrupt politicians who looted the country.

As if this was not enough, Lucman and his fellow anchors at ARY, some of whom are known to have strong ties to the army and the ISI, also made unverified claims on live television that seven protesters had been killed by riot police in the ensuing clash. (It was reported by other news outlets that three people had died, one by accident.) Moreover, when Javed Hashmi, the estranged president of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, came out in public on Sep. 1 to reveal how Khan was banking on the military and the judiciary to end Sharif’s government, Lucman slammed Hashmi, while his fellow anchor, Fawad Chaudhry, insisted that Hashmi had been “planted in [the] PTI” by the prime minister’s closest aides.

Hashmi, who is known for his principled politics and who has been tortured and imprisoned by the military over the years, made the claims about Khan in a press conference where he revealed that: “Imran Khan said we cannot move forward without the army…He told us that he has settled all the matters; there will be elections in September.”

Soon after this, we at the Express Tribune were instructed by the military to highlight statements released by the army’s Inter-Services Public Relations office about how it was not a party to the crisis. When the military was on the defensive, issuing rebuttals to Hashmi’s “revelations,” we saw the instructions lessen and the powerful institution backing off. Yet media discourse throughout Pakistan’s history has been influenced by the military, the most powerful institution in the country, or, in a few cases, has been strong-armed and intimidated by civilian heads of state until they were ousted by the military. There is a structural bias against democratic institutions and elected officials in Pakistan, and such a discourse has the not-unintentional effect of making the military seem like a better alternative, thereby reinforcing the notion that democracy does not work.

Media owners seem to “choose” the military establishment as it has been the most potent force and the only constant in Pakistan’s polity. The institutional context of the country’s power structure and patronage politics compels organizations and individuals to be a part of the system, which begins and ends with the military and its premier intelligence agency, the ISI. Abiding by the system without asking questions is rewarded. But even in a country with a deeply problematic history, the intensity of the recent interference is shocking.

Before the current political standoff, the establishment was dictating headlines and editorial policies during Sharif’s trip to India for the inauguration of his counterpart, Narendra Modi, on May 26. While working at the Express Tribune, I was instructed to change the lead story on the Sharif-Modi meeting to give it a negative tint, concentrating on how the Indian prime minister was not welcoming as he focused on security issues. The phrase “show-cause” had to be inserted in the headline, which was a direct order from the CEO, who was getting instructions from the military.

To be sure, the Express Media Group and its staff have been attacked several times during the past year for raising sensitive issues. And here too it tried to balance the military-sponsored anti-government slant by giving room to other opinions in the form of editorials and separate stories. But it also had to survive in a system where the military dominates every aspect of public life. It is a tough choice as the military refuses to protect the country’s journalists, even as the media continues to safeguard the military’s image and ostensible apolitical status.

Neha Ansari worked as a senior sub-editor and shift-in-charge at the Express Tribune’s national desk in Karachi, Pakistan from 2013 to 2014. She is now a visiting researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.

Foreign Policy

The IHC judge said if any cable operator was found violating the directions of the court or Pemra, immediate action should be taken in accordance with the law.The court also asked the Pemra counsel for the compliance of the order by 12:00 (midnight) on Tuesday.

Hearing miscellaneous petitions, the IHC bench observed that if Pemra is helpless in restoring the Geo transmission, its officials should express their inability to do so. The court ruled that the licences of those cable operators who are not airing the Geo transmission should be cancelled.

“The Geo TV transmission has been stopped by cable operators, while circumstances have been creating doubts about the role of a security agency. The court will protect all the constitutional institutions,” Justice Siddiqui observed.

The IHC bench was hearing the writ petition of the Shohada Foundation of Pakistan Trust (SFPT) that it had filed against ARY television for airing defamatory programmes against the superior judges. The IHC bench also heard the contempt of court petition that was moved by the Islamabad District Bar Association (DBA) through its counsel Syed Nayab Hassan Gardezi against ARY television for airing malicious content against the superior judiciary despite the orders of the IHC.

In the SFPT petition on June 11, the same court, through an interim order, had directed Pemra to ensure that “Mubashir allowed to conduct any programme on any TV channel till final decision of the instant writ petition”. The said order was later vacated by the Supreme Court.

Today the IHC bench directed ARY TV anchor Mubashir Lucman “to watch and examine his programme “Khara Sach” and make the statement as to whether it comes within the definition of decency, morality and not as yellow journalism. He was also directed to file his statement as to whether substance aired by him comes within the parameters of code of conduct of Pemra.

Justice Siddiqui directed to issue notices to All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) and Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) to render assistance with regard to the issue agitated through the petition.

During the hearing, Mubashir Lucman undertook to provide contents of the advertisement/other programmes containing the substance violative of code of conduct of Pemra, aired by different TV channels.

In the contempt of court petition of DBA IHC, the order reads, “Mr Mubashir Lucman, anchorperson of ARY news channel, has put appearance and submitted his non appearance from the court was not intentional but due to the fact that he was in UK in connection with routine medical check up. He is directed to file reply of contempt petition in writing before next date of hearing. Mr Sabir Shakir, Bureau Chief of ARY News, informed that Mr Salman Iqbal, Chief Executive of ARY News, has reached from USA to Karachi but his health was not permitting him to further travel to Islamabad, therefore, he could not appear before the court. However, he undertakes that Mr Salman Iqbal shall put appearance on the next date of hearing.”

Hearing the SFPT application, Justice Siddiqui observed that there is an impression that Mubashir Lucman is being provided with substance of his programme by some security agency. Addressing Mubashir Lucman, Justice Siddiqui said, “Do you see your own programme by yourself? See your own programme and tell whether it does fall in the domain of yellow journalism. It is because of you and some other channels that doubts have been created among general public about judiciary and different other institutions. You people have made judiciary a ping-pong ball.” Justice Siddiqui said Geo TV is not wailing in vain that its transmission is blocked at cable. He said everyone is after the state institution. “Everyone is aiming at Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja,” he said. Justice Siddiqui further observed that the Judiciary will protect the sanctity of the state institutions. “We will see how someone would loose talk about the judiciary and the security agencies.”

Justice Siddiqui said the judiciary will inquire from all the journalistic bodies and television anchors whether there exits any code of conduct or not. “Upon misconduct we also take action against our own lawyers,” he further said.

The court after issuing notices to the above adjourned the hearing till September 22.Advocate Ahmad Hassan Rana represented Pemra, Kalsoom Akhtar Advocate represented SFPT and Syed Nayab Hassan Gardezi and Naseer Ahmed Kiani represented DBA IHC.

APP: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered the cable operators to resume the transmission of a private television network that has been suspended from the last few months by midnight. A single judge bench of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui ordered the authorities to suspend the license of those cable operators who were not broadcasting the transmission or changed their respective position. The judge remarked that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) should ensure implementing the court’s orders in its true letter and spirit.

The News

On Sunday, protesters pelted stones at and damaged the offices of the privately owned Geo TV and struck a Geo News satellite van with batons, the channel reported. Early Monday, protesters armed with sticks stormed the headquarters of the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) and harassed staff, damaged broadcast equipment, and cut cables, leading to a temporary block in transmission, according to news reports. Although the army eventually brought the situation under control, the ability of anti-government protesters to get inside a building the military was apparently guarding prompted some to question the army’s role, the BBC reported.

For nearly two weeks thousands of protesters, led by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan and anti-government cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, have been camped out in Islamabad, after a march to the capital to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over allegations of electoral fraud, a charge he denies. Government officials believe the protests are backed by the country’s powerful military establishment, according to reports. The military, which has been at odds with the Sharif administration on a range of issues since his election last year, has led several coups in the past, one of which removed Sharif from power in 1999. Already, the military has pressured Sharif to relieve control of foreign policy and security issues according to government aides, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Several journalists covering the anti-government protests for outlets including ARY News, Aaj TV, Samaa TV, and Geo have come under attack, as we noted earlier.

Against this backdrop of unrest, last week we documented death threats against freelance columnist and retired army officer Kamran Shafi, who had been critical of the anti-government movement and military. Ansar Abbasi, investigative editor at the privately owned The News International also received a death threat from the same email account, using the name “Khaki Power”, around the same time. The News is part of the Geo/Jang group–which has been labeled anti-establishment and traitorous by many Pakistanis loyal to the military since the attack on Hamid Mir, an anchor and columnist for the group.

The threats in Shafi’s case did not end there. Today, he received another threat from a different email address, albeit the same and seldom-used domain name, telling him: “And make no mistake, you can be bumped off with 1 phone call giving it a ‘go’. Traitor. You dont deserve to breathe air in this country nor walk it’s [sic] soil.”

To read the full threat sent to Shafi click here.

Similar threats have been sent to several other journalists. Omar Quraishi, the editorial pages editor for the privately owned Express Tribune, received the following disturbing message from the same email account that sent the latest threat to Shafi:

From: “SSG” <ssg@safe-mail.net>
Date: 29 Aug 2014 11:20am
Subject: Notice
To: <omarrquraishi@gmail.com>
Cc:

Quraishi – consider this your ONE and ONLY notice. Watch your mouth. If you utter rubbish again, I will personally see to it that you leave this world covered in your own urine.. begging for forgiveness. How does that sound? Shut your mouth or I will gladly shut it for you for ever.

Quraishi told CPJ he believes the threat is in connection with recent tweets, in which he has been critical of the military and of supporters of the campaigns led by Khan and Qadri.

On Sunday, Ahmad Noorani, an investigative journalist at The News, also received a death threat from the same e-mail address.

Threats against journalists in Pakistan are never to be taken lightly. CPJ research shows that at least half of all journalists murdered in the country were threatened before they were killed.

Pakistan’s advanced surveillance capabilities, recently highlighted by Sohail Abid, from local internet rights group Digital Rights Foundation, should be capable of tracing the source of these threats. Commentators including Shafi, have questioned how threats such as the ones made against him can go untraced by the country’s powerful intelligence agencies.

Even before the current political crisis, Pakistan is one of the deadliest places for journalists. On Friday, 28-year-old Ihsan Ali, an assistant to the bureau chief of the Urdu-language Mashriq, a privately owned daily, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Mardan district–a case we are currently investigating. Last week, three employees, including journalist Irshad Mastoi, were shot dead at the Quetta offices of the independent news agency Online International News Network.

Sadly, amid this political crisis, views in the media have become polarized, and rivalries and infighting have reached new levels. Independent and critical voices are suffering at a time when the public needs them more than ever in Pakistan. Until the Pakistani media can achieve some level of solidarity they have little hope of combating the risks of being a journalist, CPJ research shows.

Sumit Galhotra is the research associate for CPJ’s Asia program. He served as CPJ’s inaugural Steiger Fellow and has worked for CNN International, Amnesty International USA, and Human Rights Watch. He has reported from London, India, and Israel and the Occupied Territories, and specializes in human rights and South Asia.

Committee to Protect Journalists

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