Karachi: Protest against target killings at University Road

KARACHI, Jan 17:  Condemning the brutal killing of three media workers and technicians belonging to Express News, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has decided to observe country-wide protest on Saturday. In a joint statement issued on Friday, PFUJ’s President, Secretary General and Vice President, Rana Azim, Amin Yousuf and Azizullah Sharif, respectively, appealed to the media houses, including print and electronic media, to hoist black flags at their offices to voice their anger over continuous killing of newsmen and media workers across the country.

The PFUJ leaders deplored that the government was playing a role of silent spectator despite the fact killings of journalists and other media workers were continuing unabated in Pakistan. They also demanded of the Pakistan Broadcasters Association and TV channels to blacken their logos so as to denounce the heinous crime of killing of the three media workers and technicians of the TV channel.

The PFUJ office-bearers also urged the electronic media not to station their DSNGs at public places and thoroughfares, besides taking effective safety measures for the protection of their employees. They also demanded of the international journalists’ associations and human rights organizations to voice their concern over continuous killing of journalists in Pakistan and raise the issue with the government to help curb such heinous crimes.

On the other hand, infuriated crowd blocked the road for traffic in Sohrab Goth as well.

It is pertinent to mention here that six people were gunned down within short span of one hour in two separate incidents on Friday.

In the first incident of firing, three people including Mufti Usman Yar were killed on Shahra-e-Faisal while in another, unknown gunmen shot dead three staffers of a private TV news channel. Sources said the Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) vehicle came under attack in Nazimabad.

The shooters fled after riddling the van with bullets.

The attack left technician, Waqas, driver, Khalid, cameraman, Mehtab, and a guard dead.