News / Pakistan

Journalist shot dead in Pakistan's Balochistan

Friday, 13 January 2017 3:54 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 13 January 2017 5:52 PM ]

Pakistani mourners load the coffin of one of the people killed in an attack on the Police Training College onto a van in Quetta, Balochistan province, October 25, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

A journalist has been killed by gunmen in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan.

The attackers shot Muhammad Jan, who worked for local Urdu language daily newspaper Qudrat, while he was heading home on a motorcycle in Qalat district, some 160 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Quetta, late Thursday.

"Two attackers on motorcycle opened fire on him, using a pistol and killing him on the spot," said senior police officer Muhammad Ali. He added that the assailants fled the scene.

The 37-year-old journalist, who was also working as a press secretary for the Balochistan media council as well as a teacher in a government school, had not received any threats from militant groups or mentioned any family or tribal dispute, Ali said.

He added that authorities were investigating the attack. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the assault.

Pakistan is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world with reporting critical of the military being considered a major red flag.

Balochistan is also rife with separatist, extremist and sectarian violence and has been the scene of several bombings and shooting attacks over the past years.

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