• August 29, 2023
• General News
• 3183196105195625

Martyred Journalists’ Day is being celebrated in the province today organized by Balochistan Union of Journalists .

Zahid Zehri, the brother of journalist Shahid Zehri, who was killed by a magnetic bomb planted in a car in Hub district for the first time in the history of Balochistan on October 2021, is still searching for an answer as to who killed his brother and why? According to him, the outlawed separatist organization claimed responsibility for the incident and made serious allegations of links with state institutions, which he denies. He believes that someone has targeted his brother in a personal capacity under the guise of a banned organization, for which he wants to launch a court trial to investigate, but according to him, no organization or journalist union has cooperated with his family. What did

Shahid Zehri has been honored by the Government of Balochistan with a medal of distinction on March 23, 2023, which his father received from Governor Balochistan Abdul Wali Kakar in a ceremony held at the Governor House. Zahid Zehri says that the government gave the medal of distinction to my brother but did not give him justice.

Most of the journalists killed in Balochistan have been accused of having links with state institutions or separatist organizations, but these allegations have not been proven in any court trial, while the Union of Journalists in Balochistan has maintained its position. That if any state agency or armed organization has any complaint or suspicion of any activity of a journalist, it should contact the journalist organization, the union will warn the concerned journalist and prevent such action. If they still do not desist from these matters, the union will express disaffiliation, but killing someone in this way is not acceptable and this action is condemnable.

Journalist Shahid Zehri was seriously injured in an explosion in a moving vehicle near Hub Police Station on the Main RCD Highway in Hub District and died on the way to the hospital. According to Shahid Zehri’s brother Zahid Zehri, this was the fourth attack on his brother in which his life was lost. Earlier also he was assassinated 2 times and once a magnetic bomb was planted on his car which he saw and reported to the police which was defused. Zahid Zehri says that Shahid Zehri has a widow and three daughters. We asked them several times to leave the area and move somewhere else, but they used to say that when I have not done anything, why should someone kill me? It could be someone’s personal act, so they feel that someone has targeted their brother for personal purposes under the guise of a banned organization.

Zahid Zehri says that after the incident, we were not in a condition to go to the police station, so a case was registered in the police station CTD on the complaint of the regional SHO of that time, after which various institutions and CT D’s people kept coming for investigation, but we were not informed about the progress of the investigation till date. There was a statement from CTD which mentioned about the arrest of 2 persons of the banned organization involved in the murder of my brother, after which I went to the police station and requested the SHO to show them to us but they did not show us. gone. He says that exactly 22 days after this incident, an Awaran political figure was also targeted with a magnetic bomb which we believe may be a conspiracy to suppress our brother’s case. On the question regarding government financial support, he said that till now no financial support has been provided by the government for the widow, sister-in-law and children after the brother’s murder.

Zahid Zahri says that he kept contacting various institutions and the police to find out the motives behind his brother’s murder, but no one contacted him, while he was the then former president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Prince Shahzad, who belonged to Balochistan. Zulfikar and Balochistan Union of Journalists President Irfan Saeed went to Quetta and asked him to raise his voice and cooperate with us to prosecute the case of his brother’s murder, on which both presidents assured cooperation and Balochistan Union President of Journalists Irfan Saeed said that the union has its own lawyers with whom they will discuss the issue but after that no official or member of the union has contacted me till date.

He further said that his brother had been doing journalism since 2008 and had held various positions in the press club, but there are 25 to 30 journalists in Hablisbela press club, but they did not record the protest by wearing black belts. It is not known whether they are afraid of someone or there is some other reason that they do not raise their voice for us.

Pakistan Federal Union of JournalistsFormer President Prince Zulfiqar, while responding to Zahid Zehri’s complaint, stated that when Shahid Zehri’s incident happened, he went to his Fatiha and met his father and brothers, where his family members raised their voices for the arrest of the killers. said. After that Shahid Zehri also came to Quetta and met me. Even then he was assured of every support at the Union level. Former President PFUJ Prince Zulfikar said that we have never made a demand by naming any journalist but we have demanded to provide justice to all journalists. So far, around 43 journalists have been killed in Balochistan, in which 10 to 12 journalists were martyred by bomb blasts or cross firing while performing their professional duties, while some were killed by unknown persons, while some journalists were killed due to personal problems. Duran has been targeted but we demand equal justice for all. Banned organization responsible for Shahid Zehri’s murder had accepted and also accused him. In their case, even the state institutions themselves are active enough to reach the accused involved in the incident. In Quetta, journalist Arshad Mastoi was martyred in his office, for which no one has accepted the responsibility. We celebrate Martyrs of Journalism Day on August 28 every year, in which the first demand is to provide justice to the martyred journalists.

He said that 3 or 4 years ago, the Balochistan High Court formed a tribunal on our demand, but the families of the martyred journalists did not appear and said that we cannot come to Quetta, on which the Balochistan High Court bound the session judge of each district. That they should listen to the families, but the families of the martyrs did not appear there, saying that we are in danger and receiving threats. He said that out of the martyred journalists, only 7 to 8 journalists have received government financial assistance, the rest are still deprived of it.

President of Balochistan Union of Journalists Irfan Saeed said that Zahid Zehri had come to Quetta for a meeting. Perhaps they have misunderstood, I did not talk about consultation with lawyers because Balochistan Union of Journalists does not have a panel of lawyers as funds are required for lawyers’ fees and the union does not have enough resources. However, on the basis of personal relationships, lawyers take services of lawyers through organizations. He said that the responsibility for the murder of Shahid Zehri was accepted by the banned organization and the case has been registered in the government’s complaint. Balochistan Union of JournalistsFormally, the banned organization cannot be named in an FIR because in such incidents, cases are registered at the government’s discretion, however, it has always been our demand that a high-level judicial commission be formed to investigate the killing of all journalists. Conduct a transparent investigation and bring out the reasons behind the killing of all journalists.

Answering the question regarding the financial support of martyrs, President Balochistan Union of Journalists Irfan Saeed said that the Quetta Press Club has created a Martyrs Welfare Trust under its support under which only Quetta will be provided on the occasion of Ramadan and Eid. The families of the martyred journalists are helped in the form of a small amount of Eid, while a Journalists Welfare Fund has been created by the government, under which journalists are helped on the occasion of illness, marriage of first child and other needs. The Chairman of the Journalists Welfare Fund is the Director General of the Public Relations Department and the Balochistan Union of JournalistsAnd the President of Quetta Press Club is its member. The family of Shaheed Shahid Zehri has been given financial support of 2 lakhs through the Journalists Welfare Fund. He said that an application is made to the Home Department for government financial assistance, after which the money is released from the Finance Department after getting confirmation from different places. He said that if Zahid Zehri did not apply for financial support, he should submit his case to the Home Department, Balochistan Union of Journalists will provide him all possible support.

Aziz Lassi, General Secretary of Lasbela Press Club, says that Shahid Zehri has been working with us, he was our friend, we are deeply saddened by the incident, but Zahid Zehri is not truthful that we did not protest. We have protested at every level that whatever is the motive behind the incident should come out.

When contacted by e-mail with the banned organization Baloch Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for the murder of journalist Shahid Zahri, spokesman Jaind Baloch said that we assure that our organization BLA targeted Shahid Zahri after a thorough investigation . Made. There is no personal grudge involved in the murder of Shahid Zehri, which has been clarified in the press release dated 10 October 2021 with photographs. In response to a question about the organization’s policy on journalists, he said that as far as journalists are concerned, we want to make it clear that Baloch Liberation Army considers journalism as a sacred field, BLA .The important role of the journalist community is recognized. We not only believe in freedom of press but also advocate it with our words and actions but there are some people in journalism who are following some other purpose in the garb of journalism. The organization has an intelligence wing which after all information forwards the matter to the center after which action is taken.

In response to the question asked about the demand of the Balochistan Union of Journalists that if there is any doubt or complaint against a journalist, the journalist organization should be informed, the spokesman of the banned organization said that the Baloch Liberation Army has received formal notice from the Balochistan Union of Journalists . No such request has been received demanding that we provide them with a list of suspected journalists. If we formally receive such a request, then it can be seriously considered.

Balochistan Bar Council President Rahab Bilidi Advocate says that when an FIR is registered for any incident, it is the responsibility of the police to submit a challan to the court within 14 days and arrest the accused named in the case. I brought If he is a fugitive, under section 87 and 88, the identity card of the accused should be blocked and the property should be seized, but unfortunately the police investigation system in Pakistan is very poor. If the police wants, the arrest of the accused can be carried out from another country as well. Rahab Bilidi Advocate says that the identification and arrest of unknown persons is also the responsibility of the police investigation to arrive at the crime scene and collect evidence and contact the victim or the family as well as record the statements of the witnesses, but the police are comprehensive in this way. It does not investigate, due to which the arrested accused are also acquitted by the court.

It is considered very difficult to do journalism in Makran Division, a troubled region of Balochistan, where six journalists have been killed so far, according to the records of the Balochistan Union of Journalists . Majid Samad, General Secretary of the District Press Club in Makran Division’s district Turbat, when asked about the progress on the cases of journalists, said that journalist Lala Hameed was arrested in Gwadar in 2010, Ilyas Nazar in Turbat in January 2011, and Dost Rand in February 2011. In Tump district of Kech, Raziq Gul was killed in May 2012 and Khalid Musa on 23 October 2012 in Turbat by unknown persons.

According to Majid Samad, the cases of the journalists who were killed were registered against unknown persons, but no progress could be made due to the non-cooperation of the police, while due to the circumstances and events of that time and the fear of state institutions and banned organizations. The families of the martyred journalists also did not press for action because they were disappointed to get justice. He said that the seriousness of the police can be gauged from the fact that Shahina, a PTV program host and editor of a literary magazine in Turbat, was allegedly killed by her husband two and a half years ago and escaped. The police have so far failed to catch him. When the police cannot catch the journalist’s killer over a domestic issue, how will they trace the killers of other journalists?

According to a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) spokesperson, CTD investigates cases under terrorism provisions, the accused or groups named in a case are wanted in most cases. The investigation team of CTD takes into account the past incidents and advances the developments in new cases. Arrested suspects involved in terrorism are not allowed to meet anyone directly, however, in cases where the accused involved in the case are arrested, the CTD regularly issues a press release with details, while any important arrest or If there is progress, CTD officials hold a press conference.

Most of the journalists killed in Balochistan become news themselves due to bias or lack of training, due to making news without understanding the sensitivity of the news. If journalists work in war-torn areas impartially and to the extent of news, they can save life to some extent.

Source: Naya Daur