JANUARY 08, 2011
BALOCHISTAN: Kidnapped Baloch Journalist’s Bullet-Riddled Body Found in Turbat
QUETTA: The bullet-riddled dead body of a missing Baloch journalist Ilyas Nazar was found by authorities in Pidarak area of Kechh district, some 550 Km west of Quetta on Wednesday, along with Qambar Chakar Baloch, a top leader of the Baloch Students’ Organization (BSO).
According to sources, Levies Force personnel after getting information from the local people, authorities reached Pidarak mountainous area, some 17 KM away from Turbat town and shifted the bodies to local hospital for autopsy.
Hospital sources said that both victims received bullets wounds in their heads and their bodies bore severe torture marks. They were identified as Chakar Qambar (22) a central committee member of Baloch Students Organization (Azad) and Ilyas Nazar, a local journalist of Balochi magazine monthly “Darwanth” and a final year student of Computer Sciences.
Ilyas Nazar was picked up reportedly by the government agencies after dragging him out from a passenger bus in costal town of Ormara while he was on his way from Quetta to his native town of Turbat on December, 28 last.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the murder of the the young Baloch journalist by calling it as an act of ‘barbarism’. The country’s journalists’ foremost body said the situation in Balochistan was too bad to work as reporter.
At least five journalists, vast majority of whom were Balochs, were killed in Balochistan in 2010 while Nazar’s was the first murder of a journalist in the conflict-stricken province. Another journalist from Pasni, Siddiq Eido is currently missing. He was abducted on the same day when Nazar was whisked away. Sitting in a hunger strike camp, the family members and professional colleagues of Nazar say they fear he would be killed by his captors.
Local residents say over 80 Balochs were brutally killed and their bodies were thrown in desolate areas after being allegedly abducted by the government agencies during the past six months.
Governor Balochistan Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi on Monday last has made a passionate appeal to Chief of the army staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kyani during his visit to Sui to resolve the issue of missing persons and their killing. He requested Army Chief to investigate who were the people involved in their abduction and killing that has been causing anxiety among their families.
PFUJ Outraged Over Baloch Journalist’s Murder
ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the killing of another Balochistan journalist Ilyas Nazar in mysterious circumstances on Wednesday after being kidnapped about 10 days ago.
Terming it an act of barbarism, the PFUJ said it has made it almost impossible for media practitioners in Balochistan to perform their professional assignments without fear.
Ilyas Nazar, 22 who worked as a Copy Editor of a Balochi language magazine, was whisked away by unknown kidnappers between December 28-29 night when he was coming from Quetta to his native town in Turbat at Aromada.
On Wednesday afternoon, his body was found on a derelict road of Pidrak of Turbat, alongwith another body of young man who was subsequently identified as Kambr Shakir, member of the Central Executive Committee of Balouch Students Organisation, with bleeding wounds.
In the postmortem report of Ilyas Nazar, four wounds were found on various parts of his body, including head and chest while Kambr Chakar received 8 bullets in his head, chest and hands.
Deceased Kambr Chakar belonged to a lower middle class family and was also doing MSc in Computer Science from the Balochistan University, and was in journalism for the last three years.
Ironically, Pasni-based journalist Siddiq Eido, who was also kidnapped by some unknown persons, is still missing, and his whereabouts are unknown sofar.
Condemning the killing of Ilyas Nazar in a very strong terms, the Secretary General, PFUJ Shamsul Islam Naz, said Pakistan has already been declared one of the most dangerous country of the world for reporting by all leading journalist organisations and highest number of media related workers was killed during 2010 in the whole world yet the incident has occurred in 2011 which speaks of insecurity of media persons in Pakistan.
The PFUJ pointed out that it is very painful that working conditions in conflict areas of Khyber Pukhtankhawa and Baluchistan are tense and incidents of torture, threats, intimidation, kidnapping and killing have become order of the day, yet the agencies concerned are playing the role of a silent spectator.
More dangerous aspect is that on such pathetic circumstances civil society, human rights organisations, political parties, bar associations; intelligentsia and media owners’ organisations are observing conspicuous silence.
The PFUJ called for immediate arrest of killers of Ilyas Nazar adding that so far no killer of the media practitioners in Baluchistan and Khyber Pukhtan Khawa has been arrested which encouraged the perpetrators to continue their nefarious designs.
The PFUJ also demanded immediate recovery of kidnapped journalist Siddiq Eido.
The PFUJ has reiterated its demand that international human rights and media organizations to send fact finding missions for asserting the plight of torture ridden media persons of Baluchistan and raise their voice for their safety, training, fair wages, conducive working conditions as well as assistance for providing life security gadgets.
http://www.thebalochhal.com/
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