Journalists hold protest rally against Shahzad's murder

All journalist organisations, along with other rights activists held a protest rally against the brutal assassination of Asia Times Online Bureau Chief Saleem Shahzad on Thursday. More than 100 journalists, photographers, and member of civil society staged a demonstration in front of Multan Press Club to condemn the killing of a journalist led by club members, Multan Union of Journalists (MUJ) office bearers.
President (MUJ) Mazhar Khan said that all journalists would mark the protest every day as a black day until the government brings the killers of Saleem Shahzad to justice. He added that the journalists have clinched the right of freedom of expression for the citizens of Pakistan and for themselves through a decade long struggle and they will not tolerate the use of brutal force by those who are supposed to protect them or from any other elements or institution as well.
He said that the journalists would wear black ribbons until the government produces the killers of Shahzad. He also added that cold behaviour of political parties over the murder had also raised some important questions, which they might have to answer in front of the citizens in the upcoming days.
Journalists shouted slogans against kidnapping, torturing and brutal killing of a colleague, they also demanding arrest of the killers. The protesters were carrying banners and placards condemning Shahzad's murder. They strongly condemned the incident and said that the journalists were being punished for reporting the truth and facts. They demanded that an independent commission should be formed to probe the murder.
Member of Federal Executive of PFUJ Rana Pervaiz Hameed vowed that the killing of Shahzad would not silence the journalists. He said that voices of the people, especially journalists, cannot be hushed down since all the journalist community is united against such killings.
Senior journalist Anjum Rasheed said that the establishment was trying to gag the voice of journalists and this incident was a clear reflective of it, however, the journalists would continue speaking the truth. He said that the killing of a prominent journalist like Shehzad was a message to all journalists that they should stop speaking the truth or face the consequences.