"Shaheed-e-Sahafat" a coloumn about senior journalist Malik Mohammad Ismail written by "Khawar Chaudhry" published in daily Ausaf London

Appeal for Justice in to the brutal murder of a senior journalist Malik Mohammad Ismail published in daily The News London

Journalist Community criticised the Government for not arresting the murderers of Senior Journalist Malik Ismail published in daily Ausaf London

Tehreeke Istaqlal's chief Air Martial (Retd) M. Asghar Khan paid tributes to Shaheed Journalist Malik Ismail publshed in Daily Ausaf London

Mr Chief Justice? Letter to the Editor published in Daily The Nation on 03 Nov, 2007.

Letters
Mr Chief Justice?

One-year ago, my elder brother, an Islamabad based veteran journalist Malik Mohammad Ismail Khan, was brutally murdered under mysterious circumstances.
After a whole year of investigations by police of the federal capital, they are still clueless and there is no headway in the whole investigation. Mohammad Ismail was in journalism for the last thirty years and was working as a Resident Editor of an independent national news agency Pakistan Press International (PPI) Islamabad, at the time of his brutal murder on the night between 31st October/01st November 2006’s. He had no enmity or personal conflict with any one.
During his career he worked with prominent media organisations including daily The Muslim, daily The Frontier Post, daily The Mashriq and news agencies like Online and PPI. He started his career in journalism as a Reporter from Attock in 1976, and worked his way up in Peshawar and Islamabad as a Senior Staff Reporter, Chief Reporter, Columnist, Editor Reporting, Bureau Chief and Resident Editor till his sudden death. We appeal through your newspaper to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo moto action” to provide justice to our family. -ABDUL WAHEED KHAN, Birmingham, UK, via e-mail, October 24.

Ismail Malik Awaits Justice

Ismail Malik Awaits Justice

By Pulse

November 01, 2007

ARTICLE TOOLS Print Email Feedback Even after a year has passed when senior journalist Ismail Malik was murdered in Islamabad, the Federal Police have failed to arrest the murderers. Since then the journalist community has been protesting against the Police failure and negligence but to little vain. Ismail Malik, Resident Editor of Pakistan Press International (PPI) news agency, was brutally murdered outside a scavenger’s tent in the bushy area close to Super Market at midnight, October 31-November 1. According to already published reports, Ismail attended a Turkish Reception on the 31st night, returned to his office located in Super Market, and then, at around, 9:30 pm, went out for walk—never to return again. He lived alone in the office premises; so, nobody went out at night to look for him. It was only on November 1st morning that the scavenger, according to Police information, found Ismail dead outside his tent inside the bushes. The disclosure was made public at around 8:30 am—the news spread like wild fire in the twin cities. The Police sent the corpse for post-mortem at Islamabad’s main government hospital—Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences—where scores of journalists, police and government officials later gathered for further information regarding the murder and to express their collective horror on the unfortunate incident. A Brutal Murder The brutal manner in which Ismail was murdered was enough to shock, enrage and even scare his fellow journalists. Those who have seen Ismail’s dead body say that his skull was virtually crushed with an iron rod, or a heavy stone. It was not just one mortal hit on the head; instead, the extent of the damage on the skull was such that the killer appeared to have continued to mutilate Ismail’s head even after his death. Since Ismail’s murder, fellow journalists have been wondering why he was murdered. Ismail Malik was a very humble, harmless and honest person. He never had any enmity, personal or family, with anyone. Ismail Malik was a very jolly man, always trying to amuse his colleagues—who have known him for over two decades in the profession of journalism. How could such a person be murdered so brutally? Sad and shocked, hundreds of journalists from Rawalpindi and Islamabad gathered outside the offices of Dawn at Zero Point by evening of the same day Ismail was murdered, and offered Namaz-e-Janaza. The Police officials had also by then declared that their efforts to nab the murder(s) of Ismail were already in full gear. The same day, a delegation of the Press Club met Interior Secretary Syed Kemal Shah, who assured the delegates that a joint team of the Federal Police and FIA had started to investigate the case, and that the culprits would be nabbed “soon.” Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also directed the Police and FIA to settle the case on an urgent basis. The investigations conducted by the FIA revealed that the murder actually took place near the scavenger’s tent located in the bushy area close to Super Market. It was the 18 years old scavenger, Muhammad Shafiq, who first informed the Police that a dead body was lying in front of his tent. The Police arrested the scavenger. Illegal Venture Interestingly, FIA sources also reveal that during investigations Muhammad Shafiq confessed to running an illegal venture, selling drugs and alcohol, and, for that, he was bribing both CDA and Police officials. He also confessed to giving a monthly amount of Rs10,000 to various police officials at the Kohsar Police Station, whose names he disclosed to the FIA investigating team. The FIA team also discovered some empty bottles of alcohol from the tent. The accused, Muhammad Shafiq, also told the investigating team that he had never seen Ismail Malik visiting the area around his tent; and that, each day, after finishing the work, he left the tent at 4 pm. He said when he came back to the tent on November 1st morning, he saw the dead body and informed the Police immediately. At one point, the Police claimed they had discovered the weapon, which was used to murder the journalist. With the help of Police and FIA sources, and through its own investigations, Weekly Pulse was able to establish that the scavenger’s tent was an illegal outfit in the middle of the bushes near Super Market, and that in its guise, a dirty drug and alcohol selling venture was in operation. These investigations also indicated that the place had become a den of criminals that was set up at an illegal business spot, and that, without police protection or bribing CDA officials, it could not have existed. CDA and Police Involvement It is no surprise, therefore, that as soon as the accused Muhammad Shafiq confessed to the criminal activity taking place at his tent, especially the involvement of CDA and Police officials, some vested interests started to spread false propaganda regarding the case, especially defaming the personality of the late journalist. Such malicious attempts by vested interests, including Police officials, angered the journalist community in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The Police also claimed they had arrested those responsible for the murder. However, when the journalists got in touch with the head of the Police Investigation Team, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ishfaq Ahmad then, he denied having arrested anyone. According to him, the investigations into the murder case were still going on. The SHO of Kohsar Police Station, Khuda Satti, also denied having arrested anyone. Some CDA officials, requesting anonymity, then suspected that some hidden hands may be trying to cover up the case. Sources in the FIA also didn’t rule out the possibility of such hands attempting to complicate the matter, by shifting the focus of investigation towards a wrong direction. The FIA proceeded with its own investigations. A blame game began within the CDA then when the DMA Section of the Authority blamed its Enforcement Directorate for allowing an illegal scavenger’s tent to operate in the bushy area of the Federal Capital’s F-6 Sector. The DMA had stopped issuing licenses for such tents in 1992, and only street hawkers were allowed to operate such businesses. Terrorizing Impact As for the journalistic community in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, its level of frustration is growing with each passing day. In the absence of speedy outcome of the case—especially vis-à-vis the varied mysteries revolving the circumstances in which the murder took place and the motives of the culprits—journalistic frustration can turn into an outpour of anger. The same may have a growing terrorizing impact on the journalistic community.

The missing pillar

The missing pillar

By Sheikh Waheed

November 01, 2007

ARTICLE TOOLS Print Email Feedback It is said that there are four pillars of state. If a single pillar collapses the whole structure of state comes crashing down. Media is counted as the fourth pillar. For the past many years efforts have been made to damage it. Media plays a key role in creating awareness amongst the masses and educating people about the truth. Unfortunately besides media all other pillars of the state have been strengthened through legislation and whenever efforts were made to strengthen media hidden hands in one way or other put things in limbo. Years pass by without any productive outcome. Things have changed for the worse as earlier it was just the financial constraints but today a journalist is subject to threats, murder and other such crimes. According to a report of an international institution in the past few years some 25 journalists have been murdered in Pakistan. Cases of many of these brutal murders have been closed by the police. Of the many martyrs in the way of freedom of press is Ismail Malik. Mr Malik served journalism for 31 long years. Against all odds he raised his voice for the cause of truth and justice. Whichever institution he served he served it with thorough professionalism and worked day and night for its development and progress. He rendered his duties diligently and responsibly as a member of the society and senior journalist. On the night of October 31, 2006 unidentified attackers killed the veteran journalist near Super Market in the federal capital. The news of the killing of Ismail Malik spread like wild fire and the journalist community was left in a state of shock and fear. Every journalist that heard about the death of Ismail rushed to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Islamabad. At the hospital all journalists including President Rawalpindi/Islamabad Press Club Mushtaq Minhas and Secretary-General Afzal Butt stood with vacant eyes staring at each other as if inquiring about the future of freedom of press in the country. Ismail Malik was a journalist who didn’t carry any grudge against anyone. Many assembly members belonging to both government and opposition benches expressed their condolences and most reached Pims after hearing the news of the tragic incident. The government members included Mohammad Ali Durrani, Ghulam Sarwar, Tariq Azeem and others. They assured the journalists that the murderers would be nabbed and brought to justice. The government formed a commission comprising SHO and SP Investigations Kohsar Police Station and journalists. Sub-Inspector (Investigations) Kohsar Police Station Mohammad Hussain was handed over the responsibility of investigating the case. Police following ‘normal practice’ took into custody a youth, Mohammad Shafiq, who worked at a junkyard near the place where the body of Ismail Malik was found and started investigations. The so-called investigations didn’t result in any fruitful outcome. The results of the investigations were also not made public. Ismail Malik received severe blows on his head and right eye. The postmortem report revealed that the death occurred due to the blows to the head, which resulted in fracture of the skull bone. Police keeping this in view started searching for the sharp object that was possibly used in the murder. According to police latest scientific techniques had been employed for carrying out the investigations and that the investigations were about to be completed. The police claim that soon the culprits would be brought to justice. The federal government on one hand had directed the police to carry out investigations into the gruesome murder while on the other it had formed a special team of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under Assistant Director Nasrullah Gondal. The FIA team was directed to collect samples and evidence from the site of the incident. During this period the police also continued with its investigations but in spite of everything the murderers are still at large. Whenever journalists inquired from the police about any development in the investigations the police resorted to mud-slinging at late Ismail Malik. After strong protest by journalists the police withdrew from the accusations that it had hurled at Ismail Malik. They maintained that investigations are underway and final outcome will come soon. The investigation officer of Kohsar Police Station, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Hussain, never bothered to brief mediapersons about any progress in the case. The FIA’s special team carried out a detail investigation about the profile of Ismail Malik and collected samples from the site of the incident. They got the mobile phone data of Ismail Malik for a month’s period. The team investigated one of his office employee and gathered personal record of the deceased journalist, his office employees and servants. But a final outcome of the investigations has yet to be seen. FIA sources state that they have completed investigations into Mr Malik’s murder case and they have submitted their report to police authorities.

Media breathing through ventilators

Media breathing through ventilators

By Sohail Iqbal

November 01, 2007

ARTICLE TOOLS Print Email Feedback One year after his gruesome murder, the journalist community, particularly, in Islamabad demanded of the authorities to track down the killers of Ismail Malik and solve the mystery. Mr Malik is still remembered by the journalists of Islamabad with whom he worked for more than 20 years. They still remember the humble, soft spoken and extremely friendly face of the veteran, who had no grudge against anyone. Despite being an independent reporter and critic for so many years, he was highly respected and quoted as a role model for the newcomers. Yet his untimely death and the initial phase of investigation raised several questions as to whether his death was accidental, a gruesome murder or a pre-planned killing. The answer, or the path to solution, is probably buried in the files of police department and the investigation agencies. According to a source in the police, the file regarding probe into Malik's death has been closed as `unsolved'. After initial investigations last year, police detained a few suspects from the place where his body was found. The suspects, though their detention and questioning by police was considered highly questionable, were released after a few days of investigation. Since then, the police have made no progress leaving many questions unanswered. There is a certain reason to believe that the lives of journalists are not protected in Pakistan. In fact nobody, apart from the ruling elite and their collaborators, is safe in Pakistan. Starting from the president, prime minister and opposition leaders, and the elite of Pakistan is being given protection by the police. They enjoy all the protection while the rest of the population has been exposed to all kinds of dangers including suicide attacks, thefts, purse snatching etc. Malik is not the only journalist in Pakistan, whose murder remains unresolved. There are many others who fell victim to unknown criminals but the government did nothing except lip-servicing in claiming the killers would be apprehended and brought to book as it believed in independence of media. Such promises were made by the government regarding the murder of Malik as well. However, at the very initial stage, the investigators started giving the probe a weird twist by suggesting that Malik's murder was a crime caused by immoral behaviour. The investigators had no reason to back up this claim but it was enough to close the probe. And so they did. As the police and investigators at the intelligence agencies started twisting the facts in the murder probe, the journalist community can smell a rat. Malik's sons have been harassed and intimidated of dire consequences by unknown phone callers, on grounds that if they insisted on demanding a probe into the matter, they would be dealt with severely. The journalists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, who knew him well, are not prepared to accept the police version that Malik was involved in immoral activities. He was an open person. His writings were clear and his thoughts were known to everyone. He was not a mystery man at all. He lived a most respectable life and he was comfortable with everyone as much as others felt at ease with him. Therefore, questions creep up when the police tries to give his murder a totally mysterious touch. And such method of investigations, which is actually meant to hush-up the matter, raises concern whether Malik's murder was yet another case of missing persons in Pakistan. The difference is that his body could not be made to disappear for certain reasons. Otherwise just as the Supreme Court of Pakistan is currently dealing with hundreds of missing persons, Malik was supposed to be one of them. The journalist bodies, human rights groups and civil society of Pakistan are already concerned about increasing attempts by the Pakistani government to muzzle the media. In the past, the government has taken several unwelcoming steps to gag the press including curbs against television channels, harassing and kidnapping of journalists or reporters receiving threatening messages such as; `stop telling the truth or face the consequences'. The offices of the country's top television channels have faced violent attacks and pressures. The journalists have suffered torture and other physical attacks in many parts of the country. On September 29, more than 30 journalists were brutally attacked and wounded by police and intelligence agency recruits while they were covering the filing of nomination papers by candidates for the presidential elections. Several journalists haven kidnapped and killed in the tribal areas while trying to cover the conflict between the government and the local tribesmen. Could Malik's murder be linked to any of these or other incidents? If the police did not come out with a more acceptable account of his death, these questions will be raised and the journalist community would be forced into believing that this is the truth. If there is explanation for events or happenings, then speculation and rumours become the order of the day. Human Rights Watch already places Pakistan among the lowly ranked countries where the media is a victim of state's high handedness. In October 2002, Pakistan was ranked at 119 out of 166 countries in the Press Freedom Index. By December 2006, this ranking had slipped to 157. The group maintains that although the government has consistently claimed that media in Pakistan enjoyed unprecedented freedom, the freedom remained limited to publications and television channels that support the government and President Pervez Musharraf personally. The group claimed in one of its reports that English language media, which is much more visible to diplomats and the rest of the world, retains more freedom to criticize the government than Urdu media. Similarly, broadcast media is given less leeway than print media because of the former's greater outreach, it has said. While the human rights groups remain critical of government policies in handling the media, the Newsweek in its edition this month branded Pakistan as the most dangerous country in the world, above Iraq and Afghanistan. While the government denies the finding by the magazine, it remains a fact that Pakistan has never been in such a precarious position, security wise, as it is now. While the security agencies and the government use all their muscles in threatening media and working out ways to gag the press, they have forgotten their prime and constitutional responsibility of providing protection to the lives and properties of common people. While, the human rights bodies and journalist unions blame the security agencies for being responsible for the disappearance of several journalists, the average Pakistani citizen feels highly insecure just because these agencies are not doing the job they were required to do constitutionally and morally. Ismail Malik's murder is a reminder to all independent journalists of Pakistan that freedom of expression that they want to exercise comes with a cost. And the cost could be as high as giving your lives for the cause. The probe so far into the murder of Malik is an indication that time to come is tough for the Pakistani journalists.

Malik Ismail � a �disillusioned� journalist

Malik Ismail � a �disillusioned� journalist

By Naveed Miraj

November 01, 2007

ARTICLE TOOLS Print Email Feedback One year after the murder of Malik Muhammad Ismail, one cannot help thinking about the dangers we journalists pass through and how uncertain our lives are. We have been together for twenty years and on that fateful night I was the last person to see him off to his office on our way back from a diplomatic reception. Starting his career in the ‘70s Malik Ismail had been a figure who was friendly to most and not so to very few. A very gentle and soft spoken man he would be very helpful to young reporters and was amongst that rare breed of senior journalists who would even ask a young educated reporter to go through his own story to see if this could be improved. Most young reporters would try to be very respectful but he will insist and will accept any changes suggested. He may not have earned too many accolades or broken too many extra-ordinary stories in his career but most people who had worked with him would agree that he was a very hard working responsible journalist. Malik Ismail would never miss a story and would travel and reach every event he had to cover even if he had to ply through public transport. In his journalistic career Muhammad Ismail covered almost all sorts of beats. He was well known and recognized in the political circles. Malik Ismail used to have good friendly relations with most of the political leaders especially those belonging to the opposition benches. Muhammad Ismail had worked in the media at a time when the kinds of remuneration packages paid today were just a dream. So he was also amongst the breed that lived on the bare minimum wages and supported his large family. In the last few months of his career the ever-increasing cost of living in Islamabad had forced him to shift his family to his native Attock. The story of his life ended in an unexplained murder and his friends still today are looking for answers. The investigators have failed to explain the cause behind the gruesome assassination, and have been hiding behind frivolous theories. We the journalists are often ‘disillusioned’ with the sense of power that our pen gives us and feel that perhaps we are safer then most. But the tragic death of Malik Ismail and the cold indifference shown by the government to the matter has once again proven us wrong. (The writer is Bureau Chief Daily Statesman and was the last person to see off late Malik Ismail after coming back together from an embassy function on the night the veteran journalist was killed)

Early arrest of senior journalist’s murderers demanded

Friday, November 02, 2007

Share this story! Early arrest of senior journalist’s murderers demanded * Govt asked to expedite investigation Staff Report ISLAMABAD: Journalists staged a protest demonstration in front of the camp office of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club on Thursday and criticised the government for its failure to arrest murderers of senior journalist Ismail Malik, who was killed on November 1 last year. They were also critical of slow pace of the investigation in the case. The protesting journalists, who were carrying banners inscribed with slogans ‘stop violence against media’, ‘ensure freedom of press’ and ‘arrest the murderers’, demanded early arrest of the culprits and urged the government to make the investigations public. They said the journalists would go to any extent to expose the murderers and to bring factual reports to the surface. Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Secretary General Mazhar Abbass said the slow investigation had made the journalists to assume that the state-run institutions were involved in the murder. He asked the government to expedite the investigation process to arrest the culprits. Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) President Afzal Butt condemned negligence of the authorities concerned and demanded constitution of a committee of journalists to press the administration to speed up the investigation. He said, “No stone will be left unturned to press the government in this regard.” Butt said the government agencies had completed investigation into the murder of a foreign journalist within two weeks, but nothing had been done for 24 local journalists killed during the last seven years. Senior journalist Mian Sohail Iqbal alleged that police and the state-run agencies were behind the murder of Ismail Malik as they had twisted the facts that could lead to arrest of culprits. The speakers lauded the services of late Ismail Malik in the field of journalism and said he was committed to his profession. Earlier the journalists offered Fateh for the departed soul. Home | Islamabad