• The son of Latif Baloch was also kidnapped, killed a few years ago
• Journalists condemn death, demand justice
Quetta: A journalist, Abdul Latif Baloch, who worked for a newspaper based as a correspondent, was shot dead by unknown assailants in the Mashkey area of the Awaran district on Saturday, police said.
The gunmen broke into the journalist’s house in the early hours of Saturday morning and tried to take him. When he offered resistance, the intruders opened fire, killing him on the spot.
The murderers fled the scene and could not be arrested late at night.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
According to police officers, Baloch was also working in the Department of the Force of Levones.
They said a few years ago, the body of the kidnapped son of Mr. Baloch was found in Mashkey.
The journalist organizations strongly condemned the murder of Mr. Baloch, who was working to Daily intikhab.
While the Federal Union of Journalists of Pakistan (PFUJ) expressed its deepest shock and outrage for brutal murder, the union of journalists Baluchistan (BUJ) described the incident part of a broader conspiracy to silence independent voices in Baluchistan.
The interim president of Pfuj, Khalid Khokhar, and Secretary General Arshad Ansari said that this act of meaningless violence is a marked reminder of the risks faced by journalists while doing their duties.
“We demand that the authorities take immediate and concrete actions to investigate this crime, identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” they demanded in a statement.
The PFUJ also requested improved security measures to protect journalists and guarantee their safety when informing.
He condemned the threats Baloch received before his murder. Such acts of intimidation create a climate of fear, undermining freedom of the press and democracy, he added.
“We sympathized with the family, the colleagues and the journalist community of Baluchistan of Abdul Latif Baloch, and the community of journalists of Baluchistan, and we commit ourselves to continue advocating the rights and security of journalists,” they urged, “they urged
Pfuj’s leadership asked the government to take concrete measures to address the deterioration of the security situation for journalists and media workers throughout Pakistan.
In a separate statement, the president of BUJ, Khalil Ahmed, and Secretary General Abdul Ghani Kakar described Mr. Baloch as a dedicated and honest journalist, and added that his objective murder raises serious concerns about press freedom in Baluchistan. The union demanded a high level investigation into the murder.
“The journalists in a sensitive region as a Baluchistan already face serious threats, and such attacks highlight the failure of the government to guarantee their safety,” the statement said. “If immediate measures are not taken, this dangerous trend could increase even more.”
The BUJ urged the Baluchistan government to quickly arrest the perpetrators and make sure justice is served.
Kalbe Ali in Islamabad also contributed to this report
Posted in Dawn, on May 25, 2025
