Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa journalists, political leaders and local government representatives on Friday held a protest demonstration at Bab-e-Khyber in Jamrud and demanded Judicial Inquiry and arrest of the journalist’s killers.
Earlier, Journalists walked from Jamrud Press Club to the historic Bab-e-Khyber to protest the brutal murder of the former president of Landikotal Press Club, Khalil Jibran, and the failure to protect journalists.
The rally participants held banners and placards with various slogans including Journalism is not crime and justice for Khalil Jibran Afridi.
Senior journalists Shamim Shahid, Tribal Union ofJournists merged districts president Qazi Fazlullah, Peshawar Press Club president Nasir Hussain, President of Khyber Bar Association, Farhad Advocate, Shah Hussain Shinwari, journalist Shams Momand, Safdar Dawar, President of Zwan Kukikhel Ittehad Sanaullah Afridi, Chairman of Tehsil Landikotal Shah Khalid Shinwari, Jamat-e-Islami Landikotal Ameer Murad Hussain Afridi and others addressed the protest sit-in.
They demanded the government conduct a judicial inquiry into the murder of journalist Khalil Jibran, arrest the killers and give them severe punishment.
The speakers demanded that the family of Khalil Jibran be provided with a martyr’s package and that arrangements be made for free healthcare and education for his children. They emphasized that the state’s and its institutions’ fundamental responsibility was to protect the lives, property and dignity of journalists and citizens. They said all state institutions failed to fulfill their constitutional and legal obligation.
The speakers expressed regret that Khalil Jibran was left bleeding and in agony. At the same time, the police and security forces did not take timely action, nor did they cordon off the area or conduct any search operations.
They highlighted that even after three days, police and law enforcement agencies did not the perpetrators. They said the murderers of Khalil Jibran to the public raised questions about the performance of the institutions.
They also criticized the security officer, DPO Khyber for their disappointing performance. They stated that the District Police Officer showed gross negligence in registering the FIR of Khalil Jibran’s murder by not including crucial sections and failing to name other injured individuals present at the scene, causing concern among the grieving family and the journalist community.
Qazi Fazlullah demanded an investigation of the incident at the Supreme Court level a compensation package of 10 million rupees for the deceased’s family, and free education for his children.
He said they would be compelled to intensify the protests from Monday and continue them until judicial inquiries into the murders of Khalil Jibran and other martyred journalists are conducted.
