ournalists, Politicians Protest As TV Reporter Wali Babar is Laid To Rest

Journalists, Politicians Protest As TV Reporter Wali Babar is Laid To Rest Posted: 15 Jan 2011 04:17 PM PST By Rafiullah Mandokhail ZHOB: Slain television journalist Wali Khan Babar, who was shot dead in Karachi, was laid to rest in his ancestral Zhob District in the presence of hundreds of people. Wali’s funeral prayer was offered last night in his ancestral village Garda Babar at 6:00 p.m. He was laid to rest in the presence of hundreds of mourners, friends, relatives, politicians and professional colleagues. Deputy Commissioner Hamid Al-Karim, Assistant Commissioner Suhail Hashmi, District Police Officer Raz Muhammad Tareen, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sheikh Zia Mandokhail, renowned politicians including Secretary Information Pk-MAP Raza Muhammad Raza, Central Leader ANP Sheikh Muhammad Yar Khan Mandokhail, JUI Nazaryati Leader Hafiz Hazrat Gul, JUI (F) Leader Molvi Shams u Din and elites participated in his last rites. It was very emotional scene and people were weeping. Meanwhile, local journalists, Pakhthoonkhawa Milli Awami Party and Awami National Party activists staged a protest demonstration against the brutal killing of Wali Khan Babar. Journalists raised black flag on the building of the local press club and wore black arm bands to condemn Wali Khan Babar’s killing. The protesters marched on various roads of the city while carrying banners and placards. They chanted slogans against the government and MQM, a political party they accused of being involved in the journalist’s murder. Addressing the protesters Raza Muhammad Raza, Sheikh Muhammad Yar Khan Mandokhail, Abdul Qayum Advocate, Dr. Aurangzeb Ehsas and Muhammad Rafiq Mandokhail condemned the cold-blooded murder of the promising journalist Wali Babar. They said the government was shielding the “professional killers” in Karachi and awarding them a licence to kill anyone in the city. They charged the government of patronizing the MQM. The protesters further said that the Karachi-based political party was resorting to “ethic cleansing” of Pashtoons, Sindhis, Baloch and the Punjabis and none of the perpetrators of such blatant targeted killings had ever been arrested or punished. They demanded of the government to investigate the incident and award exemplary punishment to the killers and provide foolproof security to media persons.