Balochistan [Pakistan], September 5 : A local journalist working for a news agency was killed in Mastung area of Pakistan's Balochistan on Wednesday, Dawn reported.
Nisar Ahmed Lehri was heading to his home when armed men opened fire on him, killing him on the spot. Police reached the site after receiving information regarding the incident and shifted the body to Nawab Raisani Memorial Hospital.
According to police, Nisar Ahmed Lehri was murdered due to a tribal clash over a land dispute. A senior police officer stated, "We are investigating the incident."
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) strongly condemned the killing of Nisar Ahmed Lehri, according to Dawn report. The PFUJ and BUJ urged the government to arrest the killers of the journalist.
In separate statements, PFUJ president Afzal Butt, Secretary General Arshad Ansari and the BUJ president slammed the Balochistan government's claims of protecting journalists, citing the number of journalists killed in the region over the years as proof of its failure.
They stressed that the killing of Nisar Lehri, who also served as the press secretary of the Sarawan Press Club in Mastung, would increase fear among media persons in the province.
They stated, "It appears that both remote areas of Balochistan and main towns have become highly unsafe for media personnel." They stated that the incident could have been prevented if the government apprehended and punished the perpetrators of previous journalist murders, according to Dawn report.
They further said, "We demand that the government arrest all killers, including those responsible for Lehri's murder."
Earlier in August, a local journalist was killed in the Ghotki district in Pakistan's Sindh, Geo News, reported, citing police. The locals have blamed dacoits for the killing of journalist Bachal Ghunio, Geo News reported.
According to the police, the deceased was attacked while he was in his fields. The police said that the journalist's body was taken to Taluka headquarter Ubuaro hospital and an investigation is being conducted.
Bachal Ghunio's family held a protest outside the office of the senior superintendent of police in Mirpur Mathelo. They called for the arrest of the suspects, according to a Geo News report.
Speaking with Geo News, the deceased journalist's minor son said there was enmity between his father and some members of the community. However, Ghunio was killed despite the issues being decided upon. He further stated that opponents had also targeted his father a few years back.
Taking notice of the matter, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had issued orders for the immediate arrest of those responsible for the killing, Geo News reported. He also ordered the intensification of operations against dacoits in the riverine area.
Earlier in July, reporter Malik Hassan Zaib was shot dead by unknown assailants in the Nowshera district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while he was travelling with his brother.
On May 15, Ashfaq Ahmed Sial from Muzaffargarh was shot by two motorcyclists. Muhammad Siddique Mengal of Balochistan was killed in a bomb attack on May 3.
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