HYDERABAD: Speakers at a condolence reference for slain journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar have demanded speedy justice for Mahar’s heirs and said that it is police failure to lay hands on the culprits despite having identified them.

They said at the reference organised by Hyderabad Union of Journalists at local press club on Monday that the Sindh government had successfully ‘saved’ the influential culprits, who came from the riverine area and easily fled back after killing Mahar in the town.

Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh president Nisar Khuhro condemned the murder and said he had heard people talking about taking Mahar’s case to Supreme Court although (one should remember) there were 58,000 cases pending trial in the apex court and this particular case would just end up another number on the long list.

He said that outgoing Sindh government had formed a joint investigation team (JIT) just before its term ended. When heirs knew the murderers how could the institutions not know them, he said, adding that PPP had supported joint operation against dacoits.

Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi said that STP stood by PFUJ and HUJ which were pursuing this case. Mahar was the voice of peasants and workers but it appeared the system was paralysed before jagirdars and sardars, he said.

Awami Tehreek leader Noor Ahmed Katiar raised question who could facilitate supply of modern weapons to dacoits in the riverine area. The government would have to answer this question, he said and vowed to support journalists on the murder.

Awami Workers Party leader Dr Bukhshal Thallu said that the jagirdari system was nurtured by hidden establishment. Such murders would continue as long as this jagirdari system had not been abolished, he said.

Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo said that as per reports of international agencies murders of journalists were not brought to justice in 87pc cases and if they did the cases’ trial was prolonged in courts.

He said that when police officers were posted on the recommendations of jagirdars and sardars how could one expect them to provide speedy justice in the cases of teachers, journalists and political activists. Sardars and jagirdars had been thrust over masses by the political parties who gave them tickets.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Taj Moha­mmad Nahiyoon said that Mahar’s assailants were waderas and that was why they had not been arrested yet.

The High Court Bar Association (HCBA) president Yusuf Leghari said that the present democratic, political and judicial systems had become obsolete but no one could snatch right to freedom of expression. Advocates and journalists would have to challenge undemocratic forces, he said.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (Afzal Butt) finance secretary Lala Asad Pathan said that so far 148 journalists including Mahar had been killed in Pakistan and no case had concluded in conviction of the culprits.

He wondered whether state institutions had failed to provide protection and justice to journalists. Their struggle would continue till complete justice was served, he said.

PFUJ leader Khalid Khokhar and Hyderabad Press Club president Lala Rehman Samoo said that murderers were not unidentified nor had they left the country. Police had earlier disclosed their names yet they had not been arrested, he said.

They said that it was police’s failure to arrest the culprits who came from the riverine area, killed Mahar in the city and fled back easily. The Sindh government had successfully ‘saved’ the culprits, they said.

PML-F leader Kashif Nizamani, former MQM MNA Sabir Kaimkhani, JI’s Hafiz Tahir Majeed, Ravadari Party leader Punhal Sario, Sindh Hari Committee leader Samar Jatoi, HRCP regional coordinator Ghufrana Arain, HRCP adviser Imdad Chandio, PFUJ (Rana Azeem) leader Junaid Khanzada, HPC secretary Hameedur Rehman and others also spoke at the gathering.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023