A senior Journalist of an Urdu daily newspaper and former president Press Club, Mohammad Saeed Butt, was gunned down by two suspects at a shop on Monday night in the city of Abdul Hakeem, a sub-district of district Khanewal.
According to Abdul Hakeem police, Saeed Butt, 48, was present at a shop in main market of Abdul Hakeem, when two masked men suspected to be dacoits entered the shop and demanded money. According to the eye witnesses, the victim handed over his wallet but dacoits demanded more money which he denied, hearing the refusal made dacoits open fire, resulting in death of Saeed Butt. The dacoits escaped after firing. Saeed Ahmad Butt died on the way to DHQ Kabeerwala.
Police told that FIR has been lodged at Abdul Hakeem police station and three suspects, including two men and one woman, with the help of CCTV footage, were arrested from Multan. Police told that the weapons used for murder were also recovered and the suspects have confessed their crime. Police further told that further investigation would be carried after forensic tests.
According to Saad Butt, son of the deceased journalist told that his father has been receiving threatening phone calls for reporting incidents of honour killing, since last one month. He alleged that his father died in the line of duty.
Journalist community condemned the inhumane killing of the journalist and demanded Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo moto notice on the increasing incidents of journalists’ murders in the country. Journalist community termed the incident “an act of terrorism” and “failure of Punjab government” to provide security to the journalists.
Published in Daily Times, September 12th 2018.