IFJ Outraged By Murder Of Journalist In Balochistan

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IFJ Outraged By Murder Of Journalist In Balochistan

November 25, 2010
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands an immediate investigation into the murder of journalist Abdul Hameed Hayatan in Balochistan, including a full inquiry into allegations of involvement of Pakistani security agencies.

The body of Hayatan, 25, was found in the village of Hiroonk, near Turbat, in Pakistan’s southwest, on November 18.

Known also as Lala Hammed Baloch, Hayatan was found dead in a canal alongside his friend, Hamid Ismail, after they disappeared from their home town of Gwadar, in Balochistan’s west, on October 25, according to the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).

Hayatan had been shot in the head and chest and appeared to have been tortured. A note found with the bodies of Hayatan and Ismail said “A Gift of Eid for the Balochs”, in reference to the Eid al-Adha holiday.

Local media reported that Hayatan, a reporter with Daily Intekhab and a founder of the Gwadar Press Club, was allegedly abducted with his friend by state security agents. Hayatan was also reported to be active in the Balochistan Nationalist Movement.

The murder of Hayatan brings to 11 the total number of reported deaths of media workers in Pakistan this year. Four of these deaths have been in Balochistan
The Balochistan Union of Journalists, an affiliate of the PFUJ, has long agitated for full inquiries into the murders of media personnel in Balochistan, and appropriate protection to be provided by authorities. (See the IFJ’s 2009 Situation Report on Balochistan here).

However, authorities have made no arrests for murders of media personnel in the province, including the case of Chisti Mujahid, a senior journalist with the weekly Akbar-e-Jehan, who was shot dead in Quetta in February 2008.
The media community in Gwadar, which staged protests demanding information about Hayatan’s disappearance, declared three days of mourning for the death of their colleague.

“Pakistan’s state and federal authorities must immediately conduct a swift and credible investigation into the murder of Abdul Hameed Hayatan. The allegations of state security involvement must not stand in the way of a full inquiry and the pursuit of justice to bring the perpetrators to account,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

ENDS

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