Pak journalists demand probe Musa's death

Hundreds of Pakistani journalists on Thursday took out protest marches across NWFP to condemn killing of a television reporter in Swat and said that killings of scribes in the troubled region is an attempt to scare them away from the restive region, but said they would not be cowed down.

Shouting that journalists are becoming victims in the war-on-terror, they demanded that the killing of Musa Khankhel on Wednesday be investigated and those responsible brought to justice.

Marches were taken out in Peshawar, Banu, Nowshera and Mansher - all in the NWFP. They were also protesting the torching of a press club in Taliban dominated Waziristan province.

At the rally at Swat, where the reporter was killed, speakers, who included Hamid Mir of Geo TV and journalist union leaders, termed the killing as "deliberate and cold blooded" so that the "happenings" there do not reach the outside world.

The journalists said they would not be cowed down and would continue to operate in the troubled region, but sought more protection.

Mir said, "journalists were aware of who was behind the killing but would await the investigations into the murder".

Unidentified gunmen killed Musa hours after he covered a peace march led by a hard-line cleric aimed at convincing militants in the region to lay down their weapons.