Journalist slain by Taliban remembered

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 28 February 2019

On the 11th death anniversary of journalist Siraj ud Din, tributes were held at the Swat Press Club. Local journalists and family members highlighted his contributions and the unfulfilled promises of compensation from the government.

Summary

MINGORA, Swat -  Special tributes were paid to late senior journalist Siraj ud Din on his 11th death anniversary observed here on Thursday at the Swat Press Club.

Siraj, 53, worked as a correspondent for The Nation in Swat when the valley was the stronghold of the Taliban. He embraced martyrdom in a suicide attack as he attended the funeral prayers of DSP Javed Iqbal on February 29, 2008.

He was the first journalist to lose his life during the days of the Taliban.

Siraj started his journalism career in 1983 with Daily Wahdat. He also wrote for several national dailies including Daily Pakistan, The Muslim, The Frontier Post, and represented PTV in 1994.

He was twice elected the vice chairman and vice president of Swat Press Club and Swat Union of Journalist respectively. He was among the founders of the local press club and remained associated with journalism for more than two decades.

At Thursday’s ceremony, local journalists' relatives and elders of the area paid homage to Siraj. They prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul.

Haroon Siraj, son of the late journalist said he was proud of his father’s contribution to journalism. He said his father used the media only for highlighting the problems and issues of public interest.

He complained that the PPP government in the center and the provincial ANP government at that time announced compensation and a government job but never honored those promises.

He said the PTI government also did not compensate the affected family despite several reminders.

KEY POINTS:

• Siraj ud Din was slain in a suicide attack in 2008.
• He was the first journalist to die during Taliban's reign in Swat.
• He began his journalism career in 1983 and contributed to various national dailies.
• Tributes were paid by local journalists, relatives, and community elders.
• His son expressed pride in his father's work and criticized the lack of government support.