Jan Mohammad Mahar: SHRC demands protection of slain journalist’s family

KARACHI: Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has demanded the police authorities to launch a thorough probe into the senior journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar’s killing and provide protection to the family, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) wrote a letter to the Inspector General (IG) of Sindh police and demanded a thorough investigation into the senior journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar’s murder in Sukkur and provide protection to his family.

The SHRC stated in its letter that the sorrowful incident that took place on August 13 in which armed men gunned down Mahar in Sukkur. It added that Mahar’s murder increased insecurity among the media community.

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The commission noted that Mahar’s family was being harassed for pursuing his murder case. It demanded the higher authorities to ensure the protection of the slain journalist’s family besides carrying out a just inquiry to provide justice.

The commission stated that journalists are facing physical attacks, abductions, harassment and even being murdered by state officials, extremist groups, non-state elements and influential persons to stop critical reporting.

The SHRC stated in its letter that many high-profile incidents of journalist murders had been carried out in Pakistan which were condemned on international forums.

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The incidents also brought attention and condemnations from international human rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Boundaries (RSF) which also demanded to provide protection to the media workers for the maintenance of democracy, transparency, flow of information to the nation and the freedom of expression.

It added that the Sindh government had passed a law, “The Sindh Protection of Journalists & Other Media Practitioners Act 2021’ on June 28, 2021. However, practical steps are required to protect journalists and media workers’ rights.

Senior journalist and Kawish Television Network (KTN) Sukkur bureau chief had been murdered by unidentified assailants on August 13.

The attackers on a motorcycle had opened fire at Mahar inside his vehicle after he left his office at 9:00 am in Sukkur.