On the fateful day, Wali had reported on an operation against drug dealers in the city. The same night, on his way home, he was shot at a point blank range five times in Liaqatabad, a part of the city where ethnic violence is rife. The TV channel he was working for has termed his murder a target killing. Wali had joined Geo English in 2007 and later moved on to Geo News in 2008. Initially a shy and mild mannered cub reporter, he came to fore due to his reporting on the issues being faced by the citizens of Karachi. With Wali’s death, not only has a human life been lost, but also a brother, son and friend.
In a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Pakistan was recently termed as the deadliest place for journalists with eight journalists killed in 2010 alone. In 2011, Wali is the first to have laid down his life for reporting. Was he killed for reporting a drug operation being carried out in the city or was he targeted due to his ethnicity? It will be a while before these questions are answered but what remains clear is that becoming a journalist in Pakistan means putting one’s self in the line of fire.
“With his killing, once again the issue of journalists’ safety and free press in Pakistan is on the forefront. In a country where ethnicity and sectarianism is rife, Wali’s death might seem like another number but that is not what it should be. We must honor his memory and show the oppressors that we will stand against them,” said one reporter and a friend of Wali, requesting anonymity.
Manizhe Ali, a filmmaker and a former colleague of Wali Babar from Geo English is deeply shocked by this killing. “All I can say is that human life has no value in this country. Here was a young man working hard for a better future and his life has been brought to an end. This is like sending a message to the rest of us to get out …,” she said.
Remembering him as a sweet-natured young man, Manizhe feels that with the death of so many innocent people, there is little hope for Pakistan. “I feel really that if this state of affairs continues then there will be no one left to bring Pakistan a better future.”
Sharing a similar sentiment is TV journalist and producer Beena Qayyum, who said, “With Wali’s death, we can see that this society is going toward anarchy. As journalists, we are the ones who show what goes on behind closed doors and now journalists are targeted for speaking out. Where is press freedom? As a journalist I am appalled.” However, she says that this should not deter the media and they must work together. “Should this stop us from our mission? Is this the strategy? If they instill fear in us we would not do our jobs? I disagree!”
Meanwhile, Karachi Union of Journalists and Karachi Press Club along with Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists have strongly condemned Wali Khan Babar’s murder. Taking notice of his murder, political parties have condemned the act.
