Summary PFUJ submits an application against the police assault on journalists in Secretariat police station.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Sunday has submitted an application against the police assault on journalists during the Islamabad protest in the Secretariat Police Station of Islamabad, Dunya News reported. PFUJ has submitted an application seeking action against Federal Interior Minister, Federal Information Minister and IG Punjab police for brutal crackdown of police on the media personnel causing several damages and injuries.
President of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalist Rana Muhammad Azeem has submitted an application against police assault on journalists in the Secretariat Police Station of Islamabad. According to the submitted application, the police officials attacked some forty journalists while they were covering the clash between police and the protestors of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) that erupted after the protesters began a march towards the Prime Minister House on Saturday night. Other than torturing several journalists, the police officers also furiously smashed the DSNG vans of as many as seven media houses. Police also charged the cameramen and photographers with batons while damaging their cameras. Using brutal application of force, the police in the night between Saturday and Sunday targeted journalists who were present there just to cover the protest. The police torture has been condemned by leaders including Imran Khan, Tahirul Qadri and Altaf Hussain while media organizations have termed it as a serious attack on press freedom. The application has been submitted under the sections of Anti-Terrorism Act seeking action against Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, Information Minister Pervez Rasheed, IG Islamabad police and police officers found guilty in video evidences. PFUJ has decided to take the matter to the Islamabad High Court in case the police refuse to register the filed case.
Meanwhile, PFUJ has also announced on twitter to hold a protest demonstration against the police torture on media personnel:
PFUJ to hold protest demo today at 5pm outside NPC against the torture on Journalists & media workers by Police, PTI and PAT
— pfujpakistan (@pfujpakistan) August 31, 2014
A violent clash broke out between journalists and police on Saturday night during the Islamabad protest, brutally torturing Dunya News media crew including those associated with SAMAA, Express News, Dawn News, Jaag TV and ARY News.
The assault on journalist left several injured including Dunya News cameramen Anjum Fatmi and Ali Azam Bukhari, reporters Hassan Ayub and Isa Naqvi, DSNG engineer Adnan and Dunya News photographer.
The police thrashed the media crew covering the altercation between police and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) protestors as they initiated a march towards the Prime Minister house on Saturday night. Tear-gas and rubber bullets were used by police while PTI and PAT protestors retaliated by pelting stones. The crackdown on protestors of PTI and PAT which continued throughout the night fell upon journalists in the wee hours of Sunday, resultantly torturing seven media houses. The seven media houses tortured by police include Dunya TV, SAMAA TV, Express News, Jaag TV, ARY News and Dawn News. Police dragged Dunya News staff out of the DSNG van and subjected them to brutal torture while they were covering the altercation between the protestors and the policemen outside the Parliament House in Islamabad. The police force also smashed the cameras and DSNGs of several media channels. Samaa TV cameraman was shifted to PIMS hospital in a critical condition.
Meanwhile, the police torture on journalists has been condemned by Imran Khan, Tahirul Qadri, Altaf Hussain andMajlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan (MWM). Several media organizations including Pakistan Federal Union of Journalist (PFUJ) and Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) have also renounced the attack on journalists. The media houses have contacted Chaudhry Nisar demanding an FIR to be registered against the police officials.
