• August 30, 2024
• General News
• Web Desk

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) expressed concern over the murder of Awaaz TV reporter Muhammad Bachal Ghunio on August 27 in the Ghotki district of Sindh province and urged for an effective investigation into the murder. PPF called for an immediate, transparent, and thorough investigation into Bachal’s murder to ensure that the circumstances that led to the murder are made clear and the perpetrators are brought to justice. 

While the reasons behind Bachal’s murder remain unconfirmed, some believe that it was due to his posting about and reporting on dacoits in the katcha (or riverine) area. 

Ghunio was murdered on August 27 while on his fields in the Raunti area of Ghotki district. As per the First Information Report (criminal complaint) registered on the complaint of the slain journalist’s brother, Sachal Ghunio, the incident took place early morning on August 27 while Bachal, Sachal, and others went to their fields. The accused arrived and shot at Bachal after stating that he had posted about dacoits living in the katcha areas. Bachal was killed. Sachal stated that his brother used to write about dacoits, their facilitators, and their activities. 

In response to the incident, Ghotki SSP Dr. Sumair Noor Channa formed a special police team, led by Ubauro DSP Hafiz Abdul Qadir Chachar and tasked them with bringing the killers to justice immediately. According to Dawn, the police team conducted raids at various locations, successfully arresting the main suspect, Shoukat, and recovering the weapon believed to have been used in the crime.

Speaking to PPF, Sachal said he believed the murder was due to his brother’s journalism as he was posting about dacoits in the area. 

Station House Officer and Investigation Officer Abdul Shakoor Lakho from Wasti Jeevan Shah Police Station told PPF that he believed Bachal was killed due to his journalism as he was living in the katcha area and kept reporting about dacoits and their facilitators. Shakoor said that two years ago, Ghunio had an issue with their tribe, which was solved later in a local jirga. He said that police were working on arresting the accused.

On August 28, Shahid Channa, Bureau Chief of Awaaz TV from Sukkur, reiterated that Bachal had an issue with the tribe and compensation was paid. However, the same people had killed him. He added that Bachal reports about dacoits’ issues and activities in the area. He also noted that before killing him, the perpetrators had asked Bachal that he was posting about them.

As per Geo, Bachal’s son said his father had an enmity with some community members.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah ordered the police to intensify operations against criminal elements in the katcha areas and ensure the immediate arrest of the perpetrators. Shah expressed his condolences to Ghunio’s family and reaffirmed the Sindh government’s commitment to protecting press freedom.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori also took notice of the murder, calling for a transparent investigation and emphasizing the need for justice. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has ordered a detailed report on the incident and directed using advanced investigative tools to trace the attackers. He urged law enforcement to expedite anti-dacoit operations in the region.

Political leaders, including Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, condemned the murder. Bhutto-Zardari reiterated his party’s support for press freedom, while Memon condemned the attack on journalism as an unacceptable assault on the free press.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) also strongly condemned the killing and demanded the immediate arrest and punishment of the culprits. The PFUJ revealed that katcha dacoits had previously occupied Bachal’s land and ancestral home and had even attempted to set him on fire. The PFUJ criticized the police for “their traditional delay and negligence” in handling such cases and called for compensation for the families of murdered journalists.

The Sindh Parliamentary Reporters’ Association termed Bachal’s killing as “intolerable.”

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) also condemned the murder. In a joint statement, CPNE leadership further highlighted that non-state actors in the katcha areas are increasingly undermining the government’s authority by establishing a state within a state through the use of armed force.  They demanded that the Sindh government, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, and Inspector General Sindh arrest the killers of Bachal and other journalists who were killed earlier, bring them to justice, and punish them according to law.

This tragic incident marks the second killing of a journalist in Ghotki this year. On May 21, Nasrullah Gadani, 40, was targeted and fatally wounded while riding his motorcycle in Mirpur Mathelo. Gadani, known for his critical reporting with the Sindhi language daily Awami Awaz, succumbed to his injuries on May 24 after being transferred to Karachi for advanced medical care.