QUETTA: The law enforcement agencies have continued search operation to trace and arrest the killers of journalist Rehmatullah Abid who was gunned down in Panjgur last night and so far, five suspected persons have been taken into custody.
Police sources told APP on Monday that on the directives of Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani,teams of law enforcement personnel were formed to trace and arrest the killers of the journalist.
Police raided a place in Rakhsaan Nala area in Panjgur and took five suspected persons into custody. Two of the suspects belonged to Kalat, another two to Panjgur and one to Karachi.
The police and Levies Force have been put on high alert and deputy commissioner and district police officer of the relevant district have been supervising the search operation.
However, the journalist community expressed its dissatisfaction over the role of the police as it reached four hours late at the site where Journalist Abid was gunned down.
In his statement, Saleem Shahid, the President Quetta Press Club has strongly flayed the unabated incidents of targeted killing of journalists in Balochistan. He said that journalists of Balochistan have been facing sense of insecurity as no single accused of murder of journalists could be apprehend so far.
Eisa Tareen, the President of Balochistan Union of Journalists said that due to targeted killings of journalists, Khuzdar Press Club was locked and the media persons were forced to flee to other parts of the province.
He added that so far, over two dozens journalists have been killed in targeted killing in Balochistan. The BUJ also announced to stage protest against killing of Abid.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani has announced Rs 1 million compensation for the bereaved family of the journalist Abid. In his statement, he said that hidden hands were involved in attacking and killing journalists in order to create unrest in Balochistan. He said that some elements wanted to stop the journalists from working.
It is recalled here that unknown gunmen riding motorcycle attacked and shot dead Rehmatullah Abid, the local journalist when he was sitting at a hair-dresser shop in Washbood village in Panjgur district.
He received multiple bullet wounds and succumbed to his injuries. Abid had worked with official news agency of Associated Press of Pakistan as part time correspondent in Panjgur district and currently he was working as district reporter of a private news TV channel and a local daily Intikhab.
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