CPJ welcomes convictions in Wali Khan Babar murder case

NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has welcomed the convictions--the first in the murder of a Pakistani journalist Wali Khan Babar--but calls on authorities to ensure the masterminds are brought to justice.

"These convictions mark a significant step in addressing the deep-rooted culture of impunity surrounding the murders of journalists in Pakistan. They indicate what can be achieved when the country's legal system commits itself to pursuing justice," said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Bob Dietz.

"But justice will remain incomplete until the masterminds in Wali Khan Babar's case are also brought to trial."

On Saturday, An Anti-terrorism court convicted six defendants for their roles in the murder of Wali Khan Babar, a Geo TV journalist who was shot dead in Karachi on January 2011.

Judge Mushtaq Ahmed Leghari, who presided over a special Anti-Terrorism Court, sentenced Naveed Polka, Muhammad Ali Rizvi, Faisal Mahmood, and Mohammad Shahrukh Khan to life in prison. Two others, Kamran (alias "Zeeshan") and Faisal Mota, who have not yet been arrested, were given the death sentence in absentia.

A seventh man, Mohammed Shakeel, was acquitted for lack of evidence.