ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced on Wednesday the setting up of a media commission for safety and security of journalists in Pakistan.

“This commission will propose measures to be adopted by the government to protect journalists in the field and to ensure their well being,” an official statement quoting the PM as saying during his meeting with head of the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) which further added “this would be a commission comprising of media persons, public figures and government members.”

“I want to make Pakistan a journalist friendly country where not only national but international media community should feel safe, secure and respected” Premier Sharif said.

Sharif said that this commission will also suggest ways and means to effectively monitor the prosecution of crimes against journalists.

CPJ official Mrs. Kati Marton, the widow of late US Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, appreciated the government’s resolve towards strengthening democratic institutions.

She appreciated the prime minister’s role in pursuing Wali Khan Babar’s case which resulted in the conviction of his killers and a strong message for the international community about the state of rule of law in Pakistan .

DAWN

ISLAMABAD: Welcoming the court decision in Wali Khan Babar murder case, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Saturday announced to observe March 4 as the countrywide solidarity day with the family of the late Geo reporter.

The statement says PFUJ welcomes the court decision and announces March 4 as the solidarity day with the family of Wali Khan Babar who was killed by terrorists in 2011.

An anti-terrorist court announced death penalty for two absconding culprits while four culprits in jail have been awarded life imprisonment.

President PFUJ Afzal Butt has welcomed the court decision and termed it a good omen for the media community as more than 110 journalists have been killed in Pakistan but this was the first time that a judgment had been announced in a case. He said Babar’s family believes a political party is behind the murder.

The News

By: Umar Cheema and Usman Manzoor

ISLAMABAD: As the Anti-Terrorism Court in Kandhkot announced its verdict on Saturday handing death sentence to two killers of Geo TV reporter Wali Khan Babar and life imprisonment for another four, it turned out to be a historic judgment.

There is good news: Babar’s case is the first where killers of a Pakistani journalist have been prosecuted and the murderers brought to justice, something that never happened before.

However, this tortuous journey has come to an end leaving dead nine policemen, prosecutors and witnesses in the case who were eliminated one by one by the killers of Babar, in order to escape the long arm of the law. This tragic end of these brave individuals is a damning indictment of our criminal justice system where helping others in getting justice is not possible without taking fatal risk.

Though the killers of brave Wali Khan Babar have been convicted by the court but the provision of justice to the families of so many others who were killed following the Babar’s killing in order to ensure the safety of real planners and handlers is still awaited.

As many as 77 journalists and media workers have been killed since 1992, according to New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a watchdog organization that work on the safety of journalists and struggle for ending the culture of impunity. The motive was confirmed at least in cases of 53 journalists that they were murdered in direct reprisal of their professional work.

Nevertheless, their killers operate with impunity and the government functionaries only issued condemning statements instead of nabbing the culprits. Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal’s reporter was mutilated by militants in Karachi. His killers were apprehended and sentenced only under Washington’s pressure. The government never showed due diligence in cases of Pakistani journalists.

However, the outcome of Babar’s case is radical departure from the past practices. Not only some accused were arrested and prosecuted, they have been awarded sentence. But this entire exercise didn’t complete without taking another nine lives during the course of investigation raising serious question marks about the state’s apathy towards the witnesses, investigators and prosecutors who risked their personal safety for others.

For beginners, Babar was murdered on January 13, 2011, on his way home from Geo TV office in Karachi. Police started investigation and the killers reacted for cowing investigators into silence. As many as five policemen and witnesses were eliminated during the initial phase.

Let me chronicle this: Rajab Bengali, a citizen who helped police in recovering the vehicle used in killed Babar, was murdered on 16 days later, January 29, 2011. His dead body wrapped in a bag was found from Gulshan-e-Iqbal Karachi.

Asif Rafiq, a police constable who had noted registration number of the vehicle used in the incident, was gunned down on January 31, 2011, two-day after Rajab Bengali’s murder. Another policeman, Arshad Kundi, who helped in recovering the car used in carrying out Bengali’s murder, was killed on March 20, 2011.

Likewise, 85-day after the murder of Babar, a police inspector, Shafique Tanoli, who had arrested five accused in Babar’s case, lost his brother to the killers. Naveed Tanoli was killed in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Karachi on April 7, 2011. Another policeman who was associated with Shafiq Tanoli was also gunned down. The suspected killers apprehended by SHO Shafique Tanoli were:Faisal Nafsiyati, Tahir Naveed alias Polka, Shah Rukh alias Mani, Muhammad Ali Rizvi and Shakil Malik. (Four of them were awarded life sentence and Shakeel was set free due to want of evidence. Two proclaimed offenders: Kamran alias Zeeshan and Faisal Mota were handed death sentence)

Haider Ali alias Saleem, an important witness of Babar’s case who had volunteered recognizing the suspect killers during an identity parade was gunned down at his home in Soldier Bazar Karachi on November 11, 2012.

Panicked by the systematic killings of policemen and witnesses as well as threats from the killers, Arshad Iqbal Cheema, a lawyer in Babar’s case, disassociated himself and fled abroad. Two other lawyers, Muhammad Khan Barurro and Mubashar Mirza also rescued themselves from the case.

Then a lawyer, Naimat Ali Randhawa, agreed to follow the case on repeated requests of Babar’s family only to be murdered on September 26, 2013.

Seven killings sparked disproportionate panic, as nobody was ready to play any role in bringing the killers to justice forcing the government to request the transfer of case from Karachi to interior Sindh (Kandhkot) that was done on November 8, 2013.

However, it didn’t see any let up in attacks. Karachi residence of Abdul Maroof, special prosecutor appointed in Babar’s case, was attacked on November 21, 2013. However, he got a narrow escape. A month later on December 20, 2013, inspector Shafique Tanoli (key police officer involved in Babar’s murder probe) was attacked with bombs near PIB Colony Karachi.

He was injured along with 28 other persons but two of his colleagues were killed.

As the case was shifted to Kandhkot, it was decided to conduct hearing inside the premises of Shikarpur prison due to security reasons. Nevertheless, hearing was to be adjourned many a time due to the non-appearance of the counsel of suspect killers, Salman Mujahid Baloch.

Despite all odds, Saturday turned out to be a historic day when the murderers of a journalist have been brought to justice.

The News

ISLAMABAD: Elder brother of slain Geo TV’s reporter Wali Khan Babar and main complainant in the murder case, Mohabbat Khan Babar, is being transferred to Islamabad following serious threats to him from target killers in case he continues pursuing the case.

Earlier, the government ordered shifting the case from a trial court in Karachi to interior Sindh to avoid any untoward situation as seven witnesses, prosecutors and police officials involved in the probe have already been targeted and killed.

Salman Mujahid Baloch is a defense lawyer of those accused in murder of Wali Khan Babar.

Federal minister for water and power Khawaja Asif has ordered requisitioning the services of Mohabbat Khan Babar for Islamabad Electric Supply Corporation (IESCO) following information about life threats to him and family. Mohabbat is currently posted as XEN in Baluchistan Development Authority in Lasbella and his transfer request is being treated on humanitarian grounds.

He wrote a letter to the minister apprising him of the gravity of situation and suggesting a way out as requisitioning his services in Islamabad.

“My younger brother was killed in Karachi by a notorious target killer group belongs to an ethnic group. Wali Khan Babar murder case is under trial in the anti-terrorist court of Sindh and I am the complainant of the case,” reads Mohabbat Babar’s letter addressed to Kh. Asif. At least seven eye-witnesses including a renowned lawyer and police officers have been killed by same target killers and now they are behind every individual related to this case, he further wrote.

“The target killers are continuously sending me and my family threats of being assassinated if I further pursue the case. I feel insecure myself and my family in Sindh and Baluchistan where they have their proven roots,” reads Mohabbat’s letter to Kh Asif. “I am incapable to continue my services there in Baluchistan or Sindh….where my family is residing for the last 30 years,” said Mohabbat.

Keeping in view the above stated situation and serious threats to our lives, reads the letter, my services may kindly be requisitioned as special case on humanitarian grounds against any post equal to my qualification and experience in the ministry of water and power.

Realising the trouble slain journalist’s family is suffering in efforts to bring the killers to justice, the minister referred the case to IESCO for comments.

The IESCO authorities agreed to accommodate him and sent a formal letter to Balochistan government in order to requisition his services. Officials privy to the case say that he will be immediately adjusted once they receive a letter of consent from the concerned authorities.

The News