Journalists demand shaheed package for fallen colleagues

LANDIKOTAL: Senior journalists at a condolence reference on Saturday demanded protection for the members of the community and safety for their families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking at a reference for slain journalist Khalil Jibran at the Peshawar Press Club, the speakers including PPC president Arshad Aziz Malik, Tribal Union of Journalists (ex-Fata) president Qazi Fazlullah, Saiful Islam Saifi and Haji Pazeer Gul emphasised that journalists must publish fair and unbiased news. They mentioned that three journalists have lost their lives in the past few weeks.

Arshad Aziz Malik and Saiful Islam Saifi highlighted the services and contributions of Khalil Jibran to society and tourism. They said that Khalil Jibran was not only a journalist but also a social worker and poet.

“We lost a journalist who devoted his life to the promotion of tourism, the environment, and girls’ education,” said Arshad Aziz Malik.

He added that Khalil Jibran always discouraged ignorance and terrorism and urged the government to ensure the best possible educational facilities for girls.

Qazi Fazlullah criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for not announcing a Shaheed package for Khalil Jibran’s family. He said that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur failed to address the threats faced by journalists, who are being killed one by one.

He mentioned that another journalist was shot dead in broad daylight last week, with the killers seen in CCTV footage. He stressed that other tribal journalists are also under threat and should be provided protection.

Haji Pazeer Gul said that tribal areas are again in the line of fire. He noted that in the past few months, tribal district journalists have been threatened by terrorists for their reports. He added that not only journalists but other citizens’ lives are also in danger.

The speakers demanded full Shaheed packages for Khalil Jibran and other journalists who recently lost their lives in the line of duty, as well as protection for the remaining journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially in the merged districts.