"SHUHDA-I-PRESS IN PAKISTAN AND APPEAL FOR JUSTICE"

Shuhda-i-Press
Abdul Waheed Khan Birmingham,UK
According to a news published in newspapers that the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) would arrange a conference to mark the World Press Freedom Day (on 3rd May) to advocate freedom of press and acknowledge the services of those journalists who have been killed in the line of duty and they would be awarded "Shuhda of Press Freedom Medals". This is realky appreciated that CPNE is going to acknowledge the services of those journalists who gave their lives for the great cause of "Freedom of Press" in Pakistan but it is really sad that the murder cases of most of the martyred journalists are still unsolved. My elder brother, an Islamabad based veteran journalist and Resident Editor of PPI news agency, Malik Mohammad Ismail Khan, had been brutally murdered under mysterious circumstances near his office on the night of 31st October 2006 during Pervez Musharaf's dictatorship and uptill now his murderers are still at large and there is no clue or head-way in the police investigation. Malik Mohammad Ismail was a professional journalist and a thorough gentleman who always worked for democracy and a positive image of independent journalism in Pakistan. He was an honest, upright, fearless and a conscientious journalist and was widely admired and respected in the community of journalists for his qualities of character and professionalism. My brother was in journalism for the last 30 years and during his career he worked with prominent media organisations including 'The Muslim', 'The Frontier Post', 'Mashriq' News agencies 'Online' and 'PPI' as Staff Reporter, Chief Reporter, Bureau Chief and Resident Editor till his sudden death which has devastated our whole family and we are still waiting for justice. Kohsar police station had registered an FIR No. 466 dated 1.11.2006 under section302/34 PP and started the investigation but nothing has come from any inquiry or interrogation and the federal capital police had ruined the whole investigation. Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had also done a separate inquiry and submitted a report to the police department but our family has not heard anything regarding this report. On the occasion of World Press Freedom day I request and demand that the Government order a re-investigation in all the journalists' murder cases since 1999 by the Judicial Commission, under the supervision of Supreme Court. I also request the leadership of journalists community, especially the office-bearers of CPNE, PFUJ, RIUJ and RIPC that they should continue their painstaking efforts and raise the voice in this regard. I know that our dear brother and other martyred journalists will never come back to us but, justice needs to be done.