CPJ hails Lankan scribe's release, flays killing in Pak

New York, Aug 31: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has welcomed the release of Sri Lankan radio producer Nadaraja Guruparan, but condemned the killing of the teenage brother of a Pakistani journalist working with BBC.

''We are relieved (that) our colleague Nadaraja Guruparan has been released, but it comes against an alarming backdrop of numerous attacks on Tamil scribes and media organisations since the Sri Lankan civil war resumed,'' , Executive Director of CPJ Joel Simon, said in a statement yesterday.

''We call on authorities to thoroughly investigate and explain how Guruparan could have been abducted amid the Government's security clampdown.'' News reports quoting , Mr Guruparan said, he was held for 20 hours by kidnappers who forced him out of his car as he drove to work at the privately owned Tamil radio station Sooriyan. He said the abduction was a traumatic experience, which might prompt him to leave his job.

The kidnapping occurred despite massive government security in the capital of Sri Lanka.

In Pakistan, Taimor Khan, 16, was found apparently murdered in South Waziristan, a lawless tribal region along the Afghan border.

Taimor, the brother of BBC Urdu reporter Dilawar Wazir, had been abducted in the town of Wana on his way from school on Tuesday. His body was discovered in the same area early yesterday.

According to news reports, Tribal Union of Journalists President Sailab Mehsud suspects the murder could be connected to Mr Wazir's professional work.

However, Wazir declined to comment on the issue, the BBC reported.

Bob Dietz, Programme Coordinator for Asia at CPJ, condemned the incident and urged the authorities for a probe.

CPJ is a New York-based independent, non-profit organisation that works for safeguarding press freedom worldwide.

UNI