Desperate Journalist Threatens ‘to cease living’;

‘External threat to life’ turns ‘internal’ dramatically

In a recent message addressed for all journalistic circles, Jamal Tarakai who is reportedly facing life-threat has changed his stance articulated on ‘Press Pakistan – a Google group of journalists’ saying: “I conveyed the message of my life being in danger. However, it does not mean I want to avail some benefit.

I need to tell every body of my problem that I have been facing these days. Kharot Abad incident is the fourth most dangerous incident in my life and is not the first one,” he writes.

”In 2006, after publishing in a newspaper my cartoon and column, 2 fighter groups threatened to kill me. With this reference IFJ published a report. The second group came in to Press club Quetta and tortured me. After this a reporter for BBC, Ayub Tareen from Quetta, and Aziz Ullah Khan, along with the reporter from APP named Ameen Ullah Hashwani resolved the matter and helped in settling the issue.

On 20 October 2008 in office of Daily Awam a bomb blasted in which I was injured. All the treatment and other expenses were paid by my own self not by any journalist union, NGO’s, or Govt.” He alleged.

“On 3 December 2010 in Quetta Meezan Chowk, a suicide attack injured me again. I again bore the expenses myself.

In 4th incident in Kharot Abad’s incident, I filmed a video and captured photos of the illegal killing. After this incident my life is in danger. I ask the journalist unions and any person to tell me what should I do in these circumstances? After Kharot Abad incident nobody has helped me and gave security. PFUJ called me in Islamabad and ignored me, he alleged.”

“Now I have two roads in front of me, I either have to try living through all odds and fight for my right or I should jump from a high building and finish my life.”

Commenting on the issue Iqbal Khattak, Bureau Chief
Daily Times has written that the application of Jamal Tarakai is being processed and has already been approved. It is very encouraging and denies the false impression that PFUJ is not concerned about the plight of journalists. Regardless of whether Jamal gets financial help or not, threat to his life may be taken seriously and he should also be stopped ‘ending his life with his own hands’ as he threatens in his recent message.