ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Saturday announced to observe March 4, 2014 as solidarity day with family of slain Geo reporter Wali Khan Babur who was killed by terrorists in 2011 and today an anti-terrorist court announced the verdict of death penalty for two absconder culprits while four culprits in jail have been awarded life imprisonment.
In a statement, the President PFUJ Afzal Butt welcomed the court decree and termed it good omen for media community as more than 110 journalists have been killed in Pakistan but judgment is announced in 1st case.
The president PFUJ said that family of Wali Khan Babur believes that a political party Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was behind the murder. He said that the MQM should clear its position after the case verdict and at least announce restrain from criminals.
Moreover, Afzal butt said that the PFUJ demands that all the culprits of atrocities against journalists should be brought before courts to ensure the justice.
The Secretary General PFUJ Khurshid Abbasi said that killing of Wali Khan Babur and other journalists is depressing history. He said that it is our demand that all the murder cases of journalists should be traced and trailed in earliest.
On direction of the President PFUJ Afzal Butt, the PFUJ will observe countrywide solidarity day with family of Wali Khan Babur to show the PFUJ complete trust in judiciary and express complete unity with families of all those journalists who were killed in Pakistan to prove that journalists are united to raise voice for them, Abbasi said.
The PFUJ has already announced to take up all the murder cases of journalists in courts, he added.
