Original headline: Another journalist found dead in Balochistan

Pakistan - Media Safety

New year brings new death of journalist in Pakistan

Source : PFUJ 05.01.2011

Original headline: Another journalist found dead in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the killing of another Balochistan journalist Ilyas Nazar in mysterious circumstances on Wednesday after being kidnapped about 10 days ago.

Terming it an act of barbarism, the PFUJ said it has made it almost impossible for media practitioners in Balochistan to perform their professional assignments without fear.

Ilyas Nazar (22) Copy Editor of a Balochi language magazine, was whisked away by unknown kidnappers during the night of Dec 28-29 when he was returning from Quetta to his native town in Turbat at Aromada.

On Wednesday afternoon, his body was found on a derelict road of Pidrak of Turbat, along with another body of young man who was subsequently identified as Kambr Shakir, member of the Central Executive Committee of Balouch Students Organisation, with bleeding wounds.

In the postmortem report of Ilyas Nazar, four wounds were found on various parts of his body, including head and chest while Kambr Shakir received 8 bullets in his head, chest and hands.

Deceased Kambr Shakir belongs to a lower middle class family and was also doing MSc in Computer Science from the Balochistan University, and was in journalism for the last three years.

Ironically, Pasni-based journalist Siddiq Eido, who was also kidnapped by some unknown persons, is still missing, and his whereabouts are unknown sofar.

Condemning the killing of Ilyas Nazar in a very strong terms, the Secretary General, PFUJ Shamsul Islam Naz, said Pakistan has already been declared one of the most dangerous country of the world for reporting by all leading journalist organisations and highest number of media related workers was killed during 2010 in the whole world yet the incident has occurred in 2011 which speaks of insecurity of media persons in Pakistan.

The PFUJ pointed out that it is very painful that working conditions in conflict areas of Khyber Pukhtankhawa and Baluchistan are tense and incidents of torture, threats, intimidation, kidnapping and killing have become order of the day, yet the agencies concerned are playing the role of a silent spectator.

More dangerous aspect is that on such pathetic circumstances civil society, human rights organisations, political parties, bar associations; intelligentsia and media owners’ organisations are observing conspicuous silence.

The PFUJ called for immediate arrest of killers of Ilyas Nazar adding that so far no killer of the media practitioners in Baluchistan and Khyber Pukhtan Khawa has been arrested which encouraged the perpetrators to continue their nefarious designs.

The PFUJ also demanded immediate recovery of kidnapped journalist Siddiq Eido.

The PFUJ has reiterated its demand that international human rights and media organizations to send fact finding missions for asserting the plight of torture ridden media persons of Baluchistan and raise their voice for their safety, training, fair wages, conducive working conditions as well as assistance for providing life security gadgets.

INSI notes: Pakistan was the deadliest country in the world for journalists in 2010 with 16 murders.