Fazal Amin
LANDI KOTAL: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Union of Journalists, in collaboration with the Landi Kotal Club, District Khyber, Jamrud Press Club, and Bara Press Club, held a solemn condolence reference in the Tehsil Compound Jirga Hall in memory of journalist Martyred Khalil Gibran Afridi.
The ceremony was attended by several political, social, and journalistic figures such as Mian Iftikhar Hussain of the Awami National Party, leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, and former center Mushtaq Ahmed Khan.
While addressing the gathering, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, Mian Iftikhar Hussain Shah, and senior journalists Mahmood John Babar, Shams Momand. Ibrahim Shinwari, Saiful Islam Safi, Kashifuddin Syed, and Waqqas Shah paid rich tribute to the invaluable contributions of the late journalist.
The speakers vehemently asked the government to immediately arrest the perpetrators of this heinous act and ensure they were brought to book. They said that Khalil Gibran Afridi, through his intrepid journalism, was the voice of truth and justice which should not be silenced.
A unanimous resolution adopted at the ceremony called upon the provincial government to provide a martyr package for Khalil Gibran’s family, including the education and well-being of his children. They also demanded enhanced security measures for journalists from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against threats to their lives and freedom of expression.
Senior journalist Shams Momand was grateful to the sit-in organizers and appreciated the Khyber district community for its consistent pursuit of justice for Khalil Gibran Afridi.
Participants included local-level organizations of community bodies, teachers’ unions, student bodies, and others associated with social circles. All of them acknowledge the rich legacy left behind by Khalil Gibran Afridi in fearless journalism and service to society.
Jibran Khalil, a noted journalist affiliated with the newly-merged tribal districts, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Landi Kotal of Khyber district on June 19.
