The federal and Punjab governments on Wednesday assured journalists that all necessary measures would be taken to arrest journalist Mukarram Khan Atif’s killers. Mukarram, 45, was gunned down by unidentified men while offering prayers in Charsadda. He was working for a Pashto radio channel and as Mohmand Agency correspondent for a private TV channel. To protest against his killing, journalists staged a walkout from proceedings of the National Assembly (NA) and Senate. Following the walkout, Federal Law Minister Maula Bakhsh Chandio, ANP Senator Zahid Khan and PML-N’s Sheikh Aftab assured journalists that Mukarram’s killers would be brought to justice. National Press Club Secretary Shehryar Khan told the parliamentarians that the Salim Shahzad Commission’s report did mention his killers and murderers of journalists Hayat Khan, Wali Babar and others had also not been arrested until now. Shehryar told Chandio that the Sukkur Police had registered a false FIR against a Sindhi TV channel reporter and the government had taken no action in this regard. He presented a list of false cases registered against journalists by the Punjab Police to Aftab on which the PML-N leader promised prompt action. Former federal religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi led prayers for Mukarram’s departed soul in the NA.
