RAWALPINDI – The funeral prayer in absentia of the media men, who were killed in Quetta blast, was held at Rawalpindi Islamabad Press Club (RIPC) at Liaquat Bagh here on Saturday.
Renowned religious scholar Allama Syed Izhar Hussain Bukhari led the funeral prayer, which was attended by Crime and Court Reporters Association Rawalpindi (CCRAR) President Qaisar Sherazi, vice president Saddaqat Ali, General Secretary Iqbal Malik, former office bearers Rahat Munir, Syed Sultan Shah, Syed Sheryar, Sudheer Malik, RIUJ President Waqar Zaidi, Shamsi and a large number of other journalists, PML-N MNA Malik Shakeel Awan, Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Balochistan Abdul Mateen Akhunzada and Shamas-ur-Rehman Swati, Sajjad Abbasi, Malik Azam, Markazi Anjuman Tajran (MAT) President Malik Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, vice president Sharjeel Mir, Pir Sarkar Jee, workers of different political parties and people belonging to other walks of life.
On the occasion, special prayers were also offered for the departed soul of the media men and other victims.
After the funeral prayer, a protest rally was also carried out by CCRAR to condemn the gory incident of bombing in Quetta.
The rally started from RIPC and culminated outside Rescue 15 Office on Benazir Bhutto Road (BBR) where the protestors staged a protest demo and sit-in blocking traffic on the city’s main artery BBR.
The protestors were holding banners mentioning “Rich tribute is paid to the martyrs of journalism” placards and portraits of Imran Sheikh, the cameraman and Saif-ur-Rehman, the reporter of a private TV channel and a photographer, who killed in the deadliest bomb blast at Alamdar Road in provincial capital of Balochistan. They also chanted slogans in favor of the deceased and demanded of the government to unveil the hands involved behind this tragic bombing.
“Bullet and blasts cannot bar journalists from imparting their duties”, “The blood of journalists will not be gone waste” and “The government should take immediate notice of brutal killing of journalists” were the slogans mentioned on placards held by some protestors.
Addressing the protestors, the speakers vehemently denounced the terrorist attacks in Queeta, hitting the government very hard which according to them had badly failed in protecting the lives and properties of the citizens.
They said that the government should bring the culprits to the book and provided the victim families with justice. They said that a situation of uncertainty was prevailing in the country owing to deteriorating law and order. 
No security was provided by any law enforcement agency to the agitators during the protest demo staged by the media men and others.