Journalists on Monday held a silent sit-in protest against the brutal murder of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari. In the protest, all the staff of the Rising Kashmir took part and they were joined by scribes and photo journalists from other publications too.
The protest started from the very spot where Bukhari was gunned down by unidentified gunmen and the protesters went up to the clock tower situated in the center of Lal Chowk.
“Our editor has been silenced but he has left a legacy which would live on. He was an institution builder and one he built will continue to tread his path,” said one of the journalists.
Bukhari was assassinated on June 14 by unidentified gunmen outside his office in Srinagar, a day before Eid and few minutes before Iftaar (breaking of Fast during Ramzan). Bukhari succumbed to his injuries and was declared brought dead at the hospital.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein during his opening statement of the 38th session of the Human Rights Council on Monday said that he was deeply saddened by the assassination of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari.
While calling him a human rights defender, Hussein said, “I am tremendously saddened by the assassination last week of Shujaat Bukhari, a courageous human rights defender actively working for peace, including through his participation in the Track Two diplomacy seeking to help both India and Pakistan put an end to the violence.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists while strongly condemned the killing of the editor said that Indian authorities must bring killers of Bukhari to justice.
Recently, two major world bodies of editors and publishers have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying their “grave concern” over Shujaat Bukhari’s assassination and sought investigations in the case.
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum are major media associations. WAN-IFRA represents 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in over 120 countries, with an aim to safeguard the rights of journalists.
“We ask that you take all necessary steps to ensure that local and national authorities carry out a quick and thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators – and masterminds – to justice,” the letter reads.
