Journalist shot, killed in Pakistan; PFUJ demands arrest of killers

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in strongly condemning the killing of senior journalist Malik Mumtaz in North Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on February 27.

 

According to reports from the PFUJ, Malik Mumtaz, a correspondent for Jang, The News and Geo News, was returning home after visiting a nearby village when unknown assailants fired at his car, killing him instantly.

 

Mr Mumtaz was associated with the Jang Group for the last two decades, and had been working for the group’s newspapers as well as its channel, Geo News.

 

He had recently been elected president of the Miranshah Press Club. He is survived by his two sons and daughter.

 

In a statement, PFUJ President Pervaiz Shaukat said the government should immediately find and punish those behind this attack.

 

“We demand that the government direct the law enforcement agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the crime,” Mr Shaukat said.

 

PFUJ Secretary General Amin Yousaf came down hard on the government for its repeated failure to check the rising targeted killings in the country, especially of journalists whose killers have never been arrested.

 

“The government should wake up and take strict action against the killers who go scot-free after committing the crime,” Mr Yousaf said.

 

The killing of journalists with impunity in Pakistan is a serious issue and Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world in which to be a journalist.

 

“We condemn the killing of Malik Mumtaz and extend our condolences to his family and colleagues. The IFJ stands with the PFUJ in once again calling on the provincial and national governments to take immediate action to protect the lives of journalists in Pakistan” said the IFJ Asia Pacific.

 

The PFUJ/IFJ report the State of Journalism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwaand Tribal Areas Pakistan was released on World Press Freedom Day 2012, and is available 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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