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| Secret hands are actively working to save the real killers of Hakim Saeed and Salahuddin: Iqbal Yousufi |
LAHORE (PR) — Secret hands have become active to save the real killers of Hakim Muhammad Saeed Shaheed and Muhammad Salahuddin Shaheed. This statement was made by Iqbal Yousufi, President of the Freelance Journalists Association, in a press release. He emphasized that the tragic martyrdom of Muhammad Salahuddin must not be viewed through the backdrop of the recent dispute involving his daughter and her husband, nor should the government take notice of it in that context. He added that the conspiratorial elements responsible for the assassination are fabricating ambiguities to shield the real perpetrators and are planning to pin the blame on innocent individuals.
Historical Significance and Background
This clipping stands as a crucial testament to a highly volatile period in Pakistan's journalistic and political history. The renowned philanthropist, scholar, and founder of Hamdard Laboratories, Hakim Mohammed Saeed, was assassinated in Karachi on October 17, 1998. Years prior, on December 4, 1994, the fearless journalist and pioneering editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine Takbeer, Muhammad Salahuddin, was targeted and killed outside his office.
The bold stance taken by the President of the Pakistan Freelance Journalists Association (PFJA), Iqbal Yousufi, came at a time when deep-state actors and vested interest groups were attempting to dilute these high-profile murder investigations. By attempting to reframe a targeted assassination as a domestic or family dispute, the state apparatus sought to divert public attention and media pressure. Yousufi's timely intervention publicly warned the government against becoming complicit in this cover-up and demanded that the "secret hands" be exposed, ensuring the focus remained on bringing the actual masterminds to justice.
