KARACHI: The Counter Terrorism Department has filed a charge-sheet with the administrative judge of antiterrorism courts on Monday against a journalist accusing him of fanning religious disharmony.

According to the CTD, it arrested Nasrullah Khan Chaudhry, a journalist associated with Urdu-language daily Nai Baat, in Karachi’s Garden area on Nov 11. The agency alleged that Nasrullah Khan was carrying some journals and booklets about Afghan Jihad and the Punjabi Taliban which contained material intended to sow discord on sectarian grounds as well as to motivate people to take part in “Jihad”.Later the court remanded the journalist to prison.

The investigating officer (IO) named five prosecution witnesses in the charge-sheet. The IO repeatedly cited the name of Khalid Mukshi in the remand papers and the charge-sheet, alleging that he was a leader of Al Qaeda and that the detained journalist had links to him.

However, the IO did not name Mukshi as an accused or absconder in the charge-sheet.The administrative judge sent the case to ATC-VIII for trial and directed the jail authorities to produce Nasrullah Khan before the trial court on Friday (Nov 23).

The CTD booked the journalist under Section 11-F (i) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 (a person is guilty of an offence if he belongs, or professes to belong, to a proscribed organisation), Section 11-W(i) (printing, publishing or disseminating any material to incite hatred or giving projection to any person convicted for a terrorist act or any proscribed organisation or an organisation placed under observation or anyone concerned in terrorism) and Section 7.

Dawn

High drama and a lack of self-restraint have often characterised the actions of law enforcers across the country.Both elements were in full display recently in Karachi, when the provincial Counter Terrorism Department arrested senior journalist Nasrullah Khan Chaudhry, who has been remanded to jail authorities on charges of spreading religious disharmony.The circumstances of Mr Chaudhry’s arrest, and the allegations against him, have caused quite a stir in media circles.

Indeed, an angry journalist community has been asking for details and questioning the sudden action that was preceded by a raid on the Karachi Press Club by unidentified men, presumably security officials.The raid, evidently to arrest Mr Chaudhry, has been condemned as an attempt by the government to harass free voices in the media.

Meanwhile, nothing has emerged to justify the detention of the journalist who has been around for many years.The arrest is linked to his being in possession of journals and booklets about jihad, which were reported to have been found during a raid on the suspect’s house.

It defies logic how the presence of the cited material can be the basis of such extreme action — journalists are supposed to keep abreast of developments, whether in government, militant or other circles.

No concessions can be allowed when it comes to establishing the writ of the law.However, in this age of frank discussions aided by the free flow of information, the investigators and prosecution have not been able to come up with a valid reason for the arrest.

Journalists’ organisations have risen up against the arrest of their colleague in Karachi, and the chances are that in the days to come, this protest will pick up.

Unless the government has proof to back up its initial assertions about the presumed ‘guilt’ of the man they took into custody, it actions will seen as wrongful and unjust.The charge of possessing jihadi literature, even if true, is not convincing enough.

Dawn

LANDIKOTAL: The Tribal Union of Journalists, Khyber Agency chapter, on Sunday held a protest rally at Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud tehsil and demanded the government to protect their life and honour.

The protest rally was jointly organised by the TUJ Khyber and Khyber Siyasi Ettihad on Sunday. Besides journalists from Landikotal, Jamrud and Bara, representatives of political parties and civil society members also attended the rally.

Carrying banners and placards, the journalists chanted slogans against the Khyber Rifles and Khyber Agency political administration. They said the administration had launched physical and mental harassment of local journalists. They alleged that the political agent, with the help of Khyber Rifles, was harassing tribal journalists.

Speaking on the occasion, TUJ Khyber Agency President Mehboob Shah Afridi said during the last several months, two of their journalist colleagues were illegally picked up from their homes. Mehboob said it was their prime duty to highlight problems being faced by tribal people but he alleged that the political administration was using various tactics to harass them. Those who spoke on the occasion included Landikotal Press Club president Ali Shinwari, Khyber Siyasi Ettehad president Manzoor Afridi, JUI-F leader Said Kabir, Qazi Fazlullah and Abdul Azam Shinwari.

The News