Thaindian News

Islamabad, Feb 19 (IANS) Protest demonstrations were held Thursday across Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP), including capital Peshawar, against the gruesome killing of Geo News and The News correspondent Musa Khankhel in Swat.
“The journalist community observed black day across NWFP while offering Fateha (special prayers) Khwani for Eisal-e-Sawab (peace of the departed soul) of Musa Khankhel under the auspices of the Khyber Union of Journalists,” The News said.

Journalists, lawyers and representatives of the civil society took out a protest rally from the Press Club to the Governor House.

The protesters condemned the killing of Musa Khankhel and demanded arrest of his murderers.

Speaking on the occasion, journalists termed Khankhel’s killing a conspiracy to sabotage the peace of Swat and suppress freedom of press.

Protest demonstrations were also held in Bannu, Mardan, Nowshera and other districts besides Peshawar.

Thirty-two bullets were pumped into Khankhel in Pakistan’s Swat Valley after he was abducted Wednesday, two days after Islamabad allowed the Taliban to impose Shariat laws in the area.

The slain journalist was in Swat to report on the peace talks between cleric Sufi Muhammad of the Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) and his son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah, who heads the local Taliban in the area

On Monday, the TNSM reached an agreement with the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government to impose Shariat laws in the province’s Malakand division, which includes the Swat Valley.