A senior journalist and president of Hangu Union of Journalists, Misri Khan Orakzai, was gunned down by unknown gunmen on Tuesday morning. As journalist, he remained associated with different newspapers and news agencies during his career.
The incident occurred in front of Hangu Press Club, when he arrived there to open the gate of the club that armed men ambushed him and fired on him indiscriminately critically injuring to him. The injured Misri Khan was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
After the incident, an emergency meeting of Hangu Union of Journalists was held in which members of the union expressed anger over the killing of Misri Khan and termed it as target killing. They said that Hangu Press Club is situated in the judicial enclave and office of the District Co-ordination Officer (D.C.O) is also in the same area. They said that despite it being a sensitive area the killers made good their escape after committing the crime.
Deceased Misri Khan, besides being president of Hangu Union of Journalists, remained associated with journalism for a long period of thirty years. He leaves behind five children to mourn his death. Meanwhile, the Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) also staged a protest demo at Peshawar Press Club to condemn the killing of Misri Khan Orakzai. Members of the union demanded arrest of the killers of the deceased journalist and security for others.
Addressing the protesting journalists, president of KhUJ, Bokhar Shah said that it was 23rd incident of killing of a journalist in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and its adjoining tribal areas. He called for holding a judicial inquiry into the murder to bring the culprits to justice.