Family of slain journalist seeks repatriation of mortal remains to India

Danish Siddiqui's family has sought repatriation of the mortal remains of the slain journalist from Afghanistan to India. The former Reuters journalist will be buried at his ancestral graveyard.

New Delhi:Family of Pulitzer Award-winning photojournalist Danish Siddiqui on Friday appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to bring back the mortal remains of their late son from Kandahar to Delhi.

Akhtar Siddiqui, the father of the former Reuters journalist, informed that the mortal remains will be buried at their ancestral graveyard. Danish was killed on duty in Afghanistan while he was covering the war-torn country. He was the Chief Photographer for Reuters in India and was reportedly killed during the ongoing violence in Kandahar's Spin Boldak district.

Talking to reporters, Akhtar Siddiqui said that he had spoken to Danish two days ago and it was his passion that his work was appreciated and he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Meanwhile, US Charge d'Affaires to Afghanistan Ross Wilson on Friday also expressed condolences over the death of Danish. While calling Reuters journalist's death a tragedy, Wilson noted that the Danish is the latest of 54 reporters who have been killed in Afghanistan.

Read:|Pulitzer awardee Indian photojournalist killed in Afghanistan

"I am seeing heartbreaking reports that Reuters photojournalist Danish Siddiqui has been killed while covering fighting in Kandahar. It is a tragedy for #Afghanistan and the world that Danish is the latest of 54 reporters who have been killed or murdered," Wilson tweeted. "My condolences to his family, to his colleagues at Reuters and to all Afghans who benefited when he shined his powerful light on the conflict. I call for a comprehensive ceasefire now," he said in a subsequent tweet.

Born at Ghaffar Manzil in Okhla, Danish studied journalism from the MCRC department of Jamia Millia Islamia University and his father Akhtar Siddiqui is a professor in the Department of Education in the same university. Akhtar Siddiqui has also been a former Dean of National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

(with agency inputs)

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