“The brutal murders of Tariq Kamal and Murtaza Razvi stand unequivocally condemned,” the Director-General said. “Every attempt must be made to bring their killers to justice”.

“These latest killings, coming less than one month apart, highlight once again the dangerous conditions in which journalists in Pakistan work. This is cause for alarm and requires urgent action, in the name of press freedom and the rights of citizens to be informed.”

Tariq Kamal was a reporter with a Sindhi language daily published in Karachi. He was reported missing on 7 May, along with a friend. The bodies of the two men were found on 9 May.

According to Kamal’s family, he had left Karachi for another town in Sindh province on 3 May to follow up what he described as an “exclusive” news story. He was reported missing after his family failed to receive any news from him.

Murtaza Razvi was a well-known columnist and political analyst with the national English language daily Dawn. His body was found strangled and tortured in a Karachi apartment on 19 April.

Twenty-five journalists and media workers, including Tariq Kamal and Murtaza Razvi, have been killed in Pakistan since 2002. They are listed on the dedicated website, UNESCO Remembers Assassinated Journalists .

In 2010, UNESCO provided training to journalists in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan focusing on conflict reporting skills, ethical reporting standards, as well as safety and security of media workers in conflict zones. In 2011, UNESCO conducted capacity building workshops for over 330 radio and newspaper journalists in the smaller towns and rural areas of Pakistan to enhance the quality of reporting and news production.

UNESCO Director-General voices concern over safety of journalists in Pakistan, after murders of Tariq Kamal and Murtaza Razvi

Nearly 100 power loom workers took out the protest for more than seven hours.

The workers protested for more than seven hours on Wednesday over the arrest of their colleague, Maqsood Ahmad, a resident of Chak 67-JB in Saddar, accused of starting a fire at a power loom factory in Thikriwala during a series of protests two years ago.

Nearly 100 power loom workers took out the protest, led by Meeran Pehalwan, the Labour Qaumi Movement president of Saddar chapter. The protesters gathered at the Bypass Chowk in Saddar on Wednesday and blocked Jhang Road for almost the entire day. Chanting slogans against the police, the protesters demanded immediate release of their colleague and withdrawal of the case against him and others.

Maqsood Ahmad was arrested on Tuesday night by the Thikriwala police in a case registered against him in July 2010 under Sections 436, 397 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act.

In July 2010, hundreds of power loom workers had taken out several protests against the government and had demanded an increase in their wages.

Six men were convicted by an anti terrorism court and awarded 590 years in prison over the riots. Several had gone into hiding.

The Labour Party Pakistan members also condemned the arrest, which they said was done without proper investigation. They said the workers were falsely accused of terrorism.

Labour Party Pakistan General Secretary Younas Rahu said, “The police are arresting innocent workers while the wanted terrorists are roaming around free. Why are they not arrested?”

He demanded withdrawal of case against Ahmed and all the workers who, he said, have been wrongly implicated in police case.

Labour Qaumi Movement Chairman Mian Abdul Qayyum, also a member of the federal committee of the Labour Party, threatened the police with city-wide strike if Ahmed was not released.

In the night, SSP (Operations) Sadiq Dogar tried to persuade the protesters to disperse. At their resistance, he ordered Ahmed’s release. The SSP, however, said that the suspect had been released temporarily, and the investigation would continue.

Later, while talking to The Express Tribune, Qayyum said that the police had released Ahmed as they did not have any other option. “If police arrest him again, they would be responsible for the consequences,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2012.

The chief minister also announced plan for a home economics college in Faisalabad and a Model Bazaar in the Ghulam Muhammadabad area.

He said he felt proud to inaugurate a “grand” recreational park in one of the most congested areas of the city.

The chief minister said that the project had been proposed in 1998, but was shelved when the PML-N government was removed in 1999. The successor government never took up the project, he said.

He said the Parks and Horticulture Authority and the Faisalabad Development Authority had to remove stagnant water from the grounds before the park could be developed.

He said that the people living around this park were being shifted to Shahbaz Nagar, where the government was building model houses.

He said while the land for the houses had been provided by the provincial government, local philanthropists were helping with the construction of houses.

The chief minister also announced plan for a home economics college in Faisalabad and a Model Bazaar in the Ghulam Muhammadabad area. He also announced a Rs50 million grant for development projects in Qudratabad and Usman Towns.

He also announced Rs50,000 for a blind girl, Nadia Bano, and Rs25,000 for a deaf boy, Qari Amin, who presented naat and recited verses from the Holy Quran, respectively, at the ceremony.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2012.

 

SI Javed and three other policemen of Thirkiwala police station had raided a house in Risala Road on Monday night to arrest Mohammad Yousaf and his wife Bhagaan Bibi accused in a poisoning case.

Mohammad Akram, a relative, said that Yousaf’s mother, Hamidan Bibi, was roughed up by police who did not find the couple.

“She fainted after police pushed her and died when she was given no medical treatment,” he said.

Saleem, a neighbour, said that he suspected that police had hit her and that she died immediately. “We would have heard her scream,” he said.

Operations’ SSP Sadiq Dogar assured the protestors that action will be taken against any policemen found to have acted unlawfully.

Rashidabad SI Malik Tariq said that police had received a complaint and were waiting for the chemical lab report.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

 

SI Javed and three other policemen of Thirkiwala police station had raided a house in Risala Road on Monday night to arrest Mohammad Yousaf and his wife Bhagaan Bibi accused in a poisoning case.

Mohammad Akram, a relative, said that Yousaf’s mother, Hamidan Bibi, was roughed up by police who did not find the couple.

“She fainted after police pushed her and died when she was given no medical treatment,” he said.

Saleem, a neighbour, said that he suspected that police had hit her and that she died immediately. “We would have heard her scream,” he said.

Operations’ SSP Sadiq Dogar assured the protestors that action will be taken against any policemen found to have acted unlawfully.

Rashidabad SI Malik Tariq said that police had received a complaint and were waiting for the chemical lab report.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

“I will self immolate in front of the chief minister’s house if we don’t get justice,” says a family member. PHOTO: FILE

FAISALABAD: A Jhang family has migrated to Kamalia following death threats they said they were receiving from kidnappers of two women of the family, said Muhammad Sadiq, a brother of the abducted women.

He said the family had decided to leave their native village, Chak No463, in view of the threat to their lives by the suspects none of whom had yet been arrested. He requested the government to ensure safe recovery of his sisters. “I will self immolate in front of the chief minister’s house if we don’t get justice,” he said. Sadiq said two cases had been registered with Satellite Town police against nine suspects. The FIR registered on April 5 states that the nine men had raided the family’s home and beaten them for filing a sexual assault case against their five supporters. The sexual assault case had been registered following the kidnapping of the women on February 26. Satellite Town SHO Asif Imran Qureshi said raids were underway to arrest the suspects. He said they had locked their houses in the area and left the village.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2012.

Protesting against the privatisation of power sector; appointment of a non-engineer person as a CEO. PHOTO: FILE

The officer remained closed on the third day and electricity supply to various localities from main feeders was disrupted. Passing through main arteries, the protesters marched towards the Fesco headquarter on the Canal Road, Abdullahpur, where they then staged a sit-in that lasted for hours.

They held banners and placards with slogans against the privatisation and the new head. Addressing the protestors, Ghazanfar Ali Khan Baloch, the All Pakistan Power Engineers Association President, said that the government was not taking all its stakeholders into confidence before making any policies.

They said they will not return to office until their demands were met.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2012.