Media Release: Pakistan                                                                                                                                               

January 15, 2013

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in expressing grief as we learn that a third journalist has died as a result of the twin blasts in Quetta on January 10, 2013.

Saifur Rehman, a senior reporter with Samaa TV, passed away late Thursday night after being critically injured in the second blast which struck a snooker club on Alamdar Road in Quetta on January 12.

Two other journalists, Imran Shaikh, a cameraman with Samaa TV, and Mohammad Iqbal, photographer at NNI, were also killed in the blast. Media persons, rescue workers and police personnel rushed to the first blast site when another blast struck killing over 40 people. A majority of the people were killed and injured in the second blast.

In a statement, PFUJ President Pervaiz Shaukat and Secretary General Amin Yousuf condoled with the family of the deceased and expressed their resolve to protect the rights of journalists.

The IFJ joins the PFUJ in once again calling on the provincial and national governments to take immediate action to protect the lives of journalists and underlines the need for special safety precautions by media professionals in the light of this incident.

The PFUJ/IFJ report on the State of Journalism in Balochistan Province, released on World Press Freedom Day 2012, is available on the IFJ website here.

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2 9333 0950 

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

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