LAHORE: South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) and South Asia Media Commission (SAMC) have strongly condemned the killing after abduction of a journalist Razzaq Gul in Pakistan’s Balochistan province and called for a full investigation into his abduction and murder.
Gul’s body had 15 bullet wounds and signs of torture.
“Journalists have been continuously targeted over the last few years. Authorities must act swiftly to end this cycle of violence and impunity,” SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam and SAMC President Kumar Ketkar said in a joint statement.
“SAFMA and SAMC support calls for an immediate inquiry into the death of the Express News reporter, and all other journalists abducted, tortured and killed in Balochistan. It has become virtually impossible to report independently,” the heads of the media rights bodies said.
“Balochistan is a dangerous place for journalists to work in. Gul is the 21st journalist to have lost his life in the line of duty in the restive province. But none of the cases has been seriously investigated and no one has been arrested or punished for these heinous crimes,” Mr Alam and Mr Ketkar said.
“Continued killing of journalists is aimed at pressuring media and journalists to keep them from reporting the facts,” they said.
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