Khalil Ahmad, the club’s Secretary Finance, told JournalismPakistan.com that a First Information Report (FIR) has also been lodged with the police.

“They (Fidayan-e-Islam) said the Christian members of the club preach Christianity to their colleagues; therefore their entry should be banned with immediate effect. Otherwise, they would bomb the press club,” he said.

Ahmad said there are only eight to ten Christian members including cameramen and photographers. The club received the letter through mail Saturday morning.

Capital City Police Officer (Quetta) Abdul Razzaq Cheema visited the club shortly after the letter was received and walkthrough gates were installed at the club entrance.

“We are also preparing a list of members and non-members of the club as we want to restrict the non-members to only press conferences and other relevant events in the club,” Ahmad said.

Ahmad who is also Bureau Chief of ’92 News’ said that CCTV cameras are also being installed at the club to keep an eye on “miscreants and outsiders.”

Journalism Pakistan

The reference was held by the Quetta Press Club for Online news agency’s bureau chief Irshad Mastoi, reporter Abdul Rasool and accountant Mohammad Younus, who were shot dead in their office in the city on Aug 28. Rezaur Rehman, the president of the club, presided over the meeting and speakers included senior journalist Saleem Shahid and Irfan Saeed.

They condemned police failure to arrest the killers and said journalists would continue their struggle till the killers were caught and media personnel provided protection.

They said Irshad Mastoi was an outspoken and brave journalist who wrote on problems faced by people and added that he had been killed for his bold views.

They criticised the federal and Balochistan governments for their `lack of interest’ in investigation into the triple murder case.

Journalists had been staging rallies and observing token hunger strike for the past three weeks but the government was yet to take notice of their protest, they deplored.

The speakers said that although 40 journalists had been killed in Balochistan over the past few years, neither the killers had been identified nor the motive for the killing established.

“If telling the truth is our fault or crime, we want to make it clear that we will never abandon this practice come what may,” they said.

They criticised political parties for their failure to come up with a strong reaction to the killing of media workers and said only issuance of condemnation statements was not enough.

DAWN

The media representatives were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans demanding the arrest of perpetrators of journalists’ killings in Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province.

Last month, armed men had barged into the Online news agency’s office and killed all three newsmen in Kabir Building area of Jinnah road Quetta. The incident sparked severe criticism of law enforcement agencies in the provincial capital.

Balochistan is considered to be one of the most sensitive areas for journalists. According to BUJ, during the last seven years, nearly 40 journalists have been killed in different incidents with the killers still at large.

The provincial government had announced the formation of a judicial commission six months back, but the judge probing the murder of journalists is yet to be nominated.

In today’s rally, the journalists chanted full-throated slogans “stop killing journalists they are your voice”, “long live freedom of expression” and “we want justice” among others.

“We will intensify our protest for the protection of journalists in Balochistan,” President Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Afzal Butt said while taking part in the demonstration.

Members of Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ), Hawkers community and the Quetta Press Club participated in the protest rally that turned into a human-chain in the high security zone of the city.

The journalist community has been protesting against the cold blooded murder of three colleagues in Quetta for the last fifteen days. “Journalists are in the line of fire in this part of the country,” Afzal Butt said.

The journalists demanded of the Balochistan government to step up efforts for the formation of a judicial commission to probe into the killings.

“We have lost around 40 colleagues during last seven years,” Irfan Saeed, the President BUJ lamented during the protest demonstration.

The journalists urged upon provincial and federal governments to ensure protection of the media men working in Balochistan and arrest those involved in the killings.

Pakistan is ranked as the world’s most dangerous country for journalists and reporters by rights groups and watchdogs.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), seven reporters lost their lives in the line of duty in 2013 in the country.

Placing Pakistan as the 158th country out of 180 on its Press Freedom Index, a report by the RSF had noted earlier this year: “The government appears powerless in the Taliban… and the military establishment, which is known as a ‘state within a state’ among many international observers.”

DAWN

President Balochistan Union of Journalists Irfan Saeed, President Quetta Press Club Razaur Rehman, Vice President PFUJ Saleem and others were also present.Afzal But said for the first time in the history of Pakistan press clubs in all the four provinces were locked on the appeal of BUJ and journalists protested but the rulers took no notice.

“There are delaying tactics in the arrest of killers of these journalists. The PFUJ is planning protest in Quetta. If their killers are not arrested within one week ‘chalo chalo Balochistan ki taraf chalo” movement would be launched in which journalists from all over the country would participate and stage sit-ins till the arrest of killers.”

He said the PFUJ had staged dharnas in front of four provincial assemblies and the National Assembly a few months ago. “Our biggest demand is security for all media group offices and journalists should be given security forces protocol on their martyrdom.”

He said the speaker National Assembly and the chief ministers of four provinces had promised the protesting journalists to security and payment of compensation to their relatives on the pattern of the security forces relatives.

“We are tired of lifting the bodies of our colleagues; target killing of Irshad Mastoi and his colleagues is a big tragedy. The federal and provincial governments are responsible for it,” Afzal Butt said.

President PFUJ would lead a protest rally here on Monday (today). The rally would originate from press club and reach in front of Balochistan Assembly Secretariat where a human chain would be formed. Political parties, civil society representatives and journalists have been requested to participate.

The News

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

The protestors were holding banners and placards in their hands inscribed with various slogans.

Addressing the protestors, Agha Hassain Baloch, Akhter Hussein Langove, Ghulam Nabi Marri and others said that force was used to suppress the voices raised for the achievements of the rights and the clear exhibition of this was the use of force in Gomazi area of Turbat. They said that as many as thirteen Baloch political activists have been killed during this operation.

They said that on one hand the rulers sit on talk shows and claim that no force was used in Balochistan and on the other hand force was used in the Chief Minsiter’s own constituency.

They said that in complete denial of their rights, “favourite persons were handed over the government through fake mandates and a massive rigging” and added that the religious extremism is being deliberately promoted to sabotage the national cause in Balochistan.

They said that the Zikri Baloch were also killed in this regard to give the impression that the Baloch people are extremists, adding that but the fact is otherwise as Baloch are democratic and liberal people with a history of thousands of years.

They also regretted the killing of journalist Irashad Mastoi, Ghulam Rasool and accountant Muhammad Younas.

They said that if the federal government had acted upon the six points Akhter Mengal provided, the situation would have been far better in Balochistan.

Daily Times

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