Rally seeks recovery of kidnapped journalist
KARACHI – A protest was held in front of Karachi Press Club on Saturday for the recovery of journalist Rizwan Bhutto. Bhutto was kidnapped on April 26 when he was travelling from Sukkur to his native village Dahriki in Ghotki district. He was reported to have been taken by robbers to katcha area in Shikarpur or Kashmore districts.
The victim’s family members, journalists led by KPC President Ahmed Khan Malik, members of the legal fraternity and social workers joined the protest against Bhutto’s disappearance. Bhutto’s brothers Azhar Ali and Sikandar Ali complained about apathetic attitude of the area police. They said that Bhutto had made a phone call to his brother Rizwan from the katcha area in Shikarpur and told him that he had been kidnapped by robbers.
They alleged that senior police officers of Shikarpur and Kashmore districts were not interested in Bhutto’s recovery as they were making excuses and everyone was saying that kidnapping was not committed in his area of operation.
The aggrieved family has appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan, chief justice of the Sindh High Court, inspector general of Sindh Police, director general of Sindh Rangers, Sindh home minister, Sindh minister for human rights and other government authorities to play their role in recovery of Bhutto.
President of Karachi Press Club Ahmed Khan Malik, who led the protest outside the club, expressed his deep concern over targeting of journalists. Over the last couple of years, more than 100 journalists were targeted and martyred in the country. The kidnapping of Bhutto has once again shaken and created a sense of insecurity among journalists. “Journalists and their families are still under serious security threats. The government authorities have failed to provide them security,” Malik regretted.
He criticised the area police for their failure to recover Bhutto. He urged Sindh Police Inspector General A.D. Khowaja to best utilize his powers and police network to immediately free Bhutto. He warned that if the police fail to recover the kidnapped journalist within next couple of days, KPC and unions of journalists will strongly react and hold demonstrations throughout the country.
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