law-enforcement agencies – Pakistan Freedom of Expression Monitor

Seven media personnel seriously injured in baton charge by police and paramilitary Rangers

Web Desk — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 13:09:04 +0000

Seven media personnel were seriously injured in baton charge by law-enforcement agencies on February 2, 2016 while covering the protest demonstration by state owned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) against the planned privatization of the national airlines.

Shots were fired during the protest demonstration in which two employees of PIA lost their lives. Eye witnesses said police and paramilitary Rangers personnel started baton charge on protesters in which reporters, cameramen and photographers besides employees of national flag carrier were injured.

Shafi Dilshad cameraman of “Dawn News” television channel had his hand fractured. The foot of Rizwan Tabassum, photographer of “AFP” news agency was fractured. Both of them were also hit by batons and dragged.

Others who were injured were Muhammad Hanif Umer, cameraman of “ARY News” television channel; Naveed Kamal, reporter of “Dunya News” television channel; Rafiq Hassan, cameraman of “Express News” television channel; Amjad Iqbal, cameraman of “Waqt News” television channel and Samar Abbas, reporter of “Channel 92” television channel.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) in separate statements demanded a transparent investigation into the incident and reiterated their demand for the security of journalists and media organizations. Journalists covering the session of Sindh Assembly boycotted its proceedings and held a sit-in on steps of the Assembly building and raised protest slogans.

Members of the Provincial Assemblies in the Sindh Assembly also joined the newsmen during the protest which was called off when Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Senior Minister for Education and Parliamentary Affairs of Sindh Government informed the protestors them that the Chief Minister had ordered an inquiry into the matter.

The Director General of the paramilitary Rangers, Bilal Akbar, ordered the formation a committee to investigate the matter.

Pakistan Press Foundation

Media men face law enforcers’ wrath

Web Desk — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 07:35:13 +0000

KARACHI: It is generally believed that a journalist can save his skin in times of crisis by showing his identity. But on Tuesday whoever was wearing a press card and trying to cover the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) employees’ protest, faced collective wrath of law enforcers.

After the shots had been fired in a rally of protesting PIA employees, law enforcement personnel turned their batons to everyone. However, after a point their anger was focused only on the reporters and cameramen.

“How would we know you are a journalist? You could be a bomber,” shouted a policeman in response to pleas of a reporter who was showing his press identification. Another official, however, did not find the conversation interesting and hit the reporter with a baton anyway while spurting profanities. However, the newsman was rescued by technician of a DSNG van.

Others were not so lucky. Cameramen of Express News Rafiq Hassan, Dawn News’ Shafi Dilshad and Amjad Iqbal of Waqt News were hit with sticks, boots and in one case dragged as well. Dilshad was thrashed brutally, leaving him with a fractured hand.

“For some time we have been seeing that security personnel started beating newsmen whenever they want to cover up something,” said a senior journalist, who was reporting the protest for a news channel.

Other newsmen who were injured included Ary News cameraman Hanif, AFP’s photographer Rizwan Tabassum, Dunya News’ reporter Naveed Kamal and Channel 92’s reporter Samar Abbas.

Express Tribune

Alleged killers of journalists arrested after the murder

Web Desk — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 12:00:12 +0000

Law enforcement agencies of Pakistan succeeded in their efforts and have arrested alleged killers of Baloch journalist Irshad Mastoi and two his colleagues.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Safaraz Bugti during a press conference at the Home Ministry informed media on September 2 that the arrested target killers had confessed to the killing of journalists in Quetta. He further stated suspects belonged to the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

He identified the killers as Shafqat Ali Rodani codenamedNaveed and Ibrahim Nachari codenamed Shah Jee. They were also involved in 31 cases of terrorist attacks, targeted killings, bomb blasts and other criminal activities.

In their confession statement, they gave details of the murder plot and objectives. According to Shafqat Ali, Ustad Aslamcodenamed Aucho was the mastermind of the plot and SohailMarri the facilitator.

Shafqat Ali said that they walked into the Online office, when he opened fire at Mastoi two other men at the office tried to stop him and he fired at them as well.

In his confession, Shafqat Ali also revealed that his group wanted to use the killing in their propaganda at the UN and other forums against intelligence agencies.

Background

On 28 August, 2014, at about 7:45 pm armed men barged in the office of news agency Online and killed Irshad Mastoi, Abdul Rasool and Muhammad Younas by open fire at them. In the firing incident Mastoi injured critically and his colleagues died at the spot. Mastoi was immediately shifted to a hospital; however he succumbed to deadly wounds.

According to details, a firing incident took place inside Kabirwala Building located at the Jinnah Road, Quetta, a crowd and high security zone and the assailants managed to escape unhurt from the spot.

Mastoi was Bureau Chief of news agency Online, assignment editor of ARY News and also general secretary of the Balochistan Union of Journalists.

Abdul Rasool was a final year student of Mass Communication at Balochistan University. He had completed a three-month internship in the news agency and now working as a reporter.

Mohammad Younis was serving as an accountant in the news agency for a number of years.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Quetta Press Club, Balochistan Union of Journalists, other journalists unions and even leaders of political parties had recorded their condemnations for the killing and demanded arrest of the culprits.

Pakistan Press Foundation

The rivalries must go one – Pakistan media bitterly divided

Web Desk — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 10:14:49 +0000

2014 has been one of the most difficult years for the Pakistani media. Due to the alarming, yet familiar, threats from militant groups, law enforcement agencies, and political parties, the Pakistani media remained bitterly divided.

The annual press freedom report released here by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) said that 2014 saw media professionals paying a heavy price in blood. Their strived to keep Pakistani citizens informed in an increasingly polarized and violence prone country. Eight media personnel, including three journalists, were killed during the year. At least thirty-five media practitioners were injured during 2014.

The unprecedented reversals in media freedom include divisions between media organisations, which isolated the local media group. The ensuing viscous propaganda between said group and rival media badly tarnished of the image the media among the public. Having isolated the group, the distribution of the group’s newspapers and television channels was disrupted to an extent not previously seen in the history of the country.

The bickering between media groups overshadowed the loss of life they were collectively suffering. For instance, the fatal shooting of reporter Shan Dahar on December 31, 2013, in Larkana, Sindh, did not garner the attention it should have. He was short in the back and taken to a hospital where he remained unattended to until he succumbed to his injuries the next day. Only a handful of days later another private channel’s DSNG van was attacked on January 17, 2014 resulted in the death of three media workers.

In March, Raza Rumi faced a deadly attack – while he survived, his driver died in the attack. On August 28, 2014, unidentified assailants barged into the offices of a news agency in Quetta and murdered Bureau Chief Irshad Mustoi, reporter Abdul Rasool Khajjak, and accountant Muhammad Younas.

The largest number of injuries occurred on August 31, 2014, when 28 journalists, camera operators, and other media workers, were injured while covering the clashes between the police and the protesters during the demonstrations led by the opposition Pakistan Tehrik Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT).

The next day on September 1, 2014, protestors belonging to PTI and PAT attacked the offices of state owned Pakistan Television (PTV). They took over the control room and running broadcasts were disrupted for a few hours. Supporters of PTI also continued to harass and intimidate the staff members of a private news channel after PTI Chairman Imran Khan alleged that it was complicit in the election rigging that took place in 2013.

Perhaps the only positive aspect in all this could be the realization among the media that effective codes of conduct are needed for a more ethical and peaceful working environment. There is also a greater realization among media organizations of the need to cooperate with civil society and political groups. This is so the issues of media safety and stifled freedom of expression can be addressed.

On the positive side, the killers of Wali Khan Babar, a Pakistani journalist, were convicted by the criminal justice system on Saturday March 1, 2014. A Pakistani court convicted six men for Babar’s murder. He was shot dead in Karachi in January 2011.

Pakistan Today

Attackers of Hamid Mir will be brought to book, says Nawaz

Web Desk — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 10:10:27 +0000

KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Monday whosoever was involved in the attack on Geo News anchorperson Hamid Mir would be brought to the book. He said an independent judicial inquiry commission had been constituted to probe the incident and findings of this commission once it concluded its investigations would be made public.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said this here on Monday as he visited the Aga Khan Hospital to inquire after Hamid Mir, who has been under treatment there after getting injured in an armed attack near the Karachi Airport on April 19.

The prime minister, while talking to the newsmen present on the occasion, said that law enforcement agencies concerned had been conducting an investigation on full-fledged basis into the attack on Hamid Mir so that criminals behind the incident could be brought to justice without undue delay.

The PM condemned in the strongest terms the attack on senior anchorperson saying that by grace of God, the life of senior journalist had been saved. He said the criminal elements responsible for the incident would be brought to justice at all costs.

The PM also prayed for early recovery of Hamid Mir so that he could rejoin the journalistic fraternity and perform his duties.

On the question about the ongoing talks process with the Taliban negotiators, the PM said that the process of dialogue with the Taliban was going on while there had been some ups and down in the process. He said that the government had been doing its best to resolve the pending issue through dialogue with the Taliban while its conclusion could take some time.

On the question about the law and order situation in Karachi, the PM said that terrorism and adverse law and order conditions were not peculiar to Karachi alone but had been a problem of the entire country.

Nawaz Sharif said that a targeted operation against criminals and terrorists in Karachi was going on and getting positive and encouraging results. He said the government would continue with its efforts to improve the law and order situation in Karachi.

Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah also accompanied the prime minister during the visit.

Meanwhile, chairing a meeting at the Karachi Airport to review the law and order situation in Karachi, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the federal government would provide all possible support to the Sindh government in procurement of the latest technology in the latter’s drive to prevent and counter crimes in the metropolis.

The premier directed the authorities concerned to use the latest technology for countering the wave of crimes in Karachi. He also directed the authorities concerned that due expansion should be given to the network of closed-circuit television cameras in Karachi.

He also instructed the law-enforcement agencies to adopt a shared strategy and conduct actions with support and coordination of each other to cleanse the city of menacing criminals, extortionists, and target killers. He emphasised that intelligence agencies concerned should also maintain close liaison and networking with each other for countering the wave of crimes and terrorism in the city.

The prime minister said he would not tolerate any slackness in efforts being made by the authorities concerned in restoration of the law and order situation in Karachi while the ongoing targeted operation against criminals in Karachi should be brought to a logical conclusion without coming under any undue influence.

Our Sukkur correspondent adds: Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resolved that his government would expedite work on power projects to overcome the energy crisis in the country.

Addressing a ceremony after inaugurating two power plants at Guddu in Kashmore district, the PM said that the country would not have faced the current power shortage had the projects initiated in 1999 not been stalled. He said that his government had started ‘reconstruction’ with a renewed vigour to make up for the time lost. He reiterated his government’s resolve to end the power and gas loadshedding.

The prime minister thanked the Chinese company for its assistance in the project. He eulogised Pakistan’s longstanding friendship with China.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promised dozens of power plants in the country with the help of China, adding that all power projects would be completed soon. These power plants would help fill in the gap between demand and supply of power. Also, the foundation stone of the Karachi-Lahore Motorway would be laid soon.

Earlier, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif gave a detailed briefing on the project to the PM. Three power plants have the combined capacity to produce 747MW. Two units have become operational while the third is expected to be commissioned in May.

Constructed with Chinese assistance by M/s Harbin Electric International Company, the work on the project has been completed in six months at the cost of Rs60 billion.

The News

Right to information

Web Desk — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 17:03:51 +0000

The Right to Information (RTI) article 19-A was inserted in the constitution under the 18th amendment for the people of Pakistan to get all information in matters of public importance but subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by law. The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recently passed an ordinance “The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Ordinance,2013″ (RTI) by the governor of the province and not by the provincial assembly and a launching ceremony was arranged for it to guide the legal fraternity, civil society, bureaucrats and politicians regarding this new law in a lavish hotel of the province.

Provincial Government claimed that this is the success of PTI to pass this law in the province which is recognized worldwide, however, the law passed by the governor has not yet been put on floor of the KPK Assembly. The law limited the ‘Right to Information’ for the citizen as now no court will interfere in the matters of information when an aggrieved person approaches them in either Constitutional Petition under article 199 or a civil suit as there exist an alternate remedy and proper forum created by the provincial government.

This will create number of complications for the petitioner and he has to wait long to collect the information from the public authorities.

Missing Persons is a very common issue these days and thousands of petitions are pending in the High Courts and Supreme Court of Pakistan. The people who are under suspicion of law enforcing agencies and are detained by them, after interrogation very few are set free; some remain missing for long period of time. RTI has now exempted the agencies to come up with the information regarding the persons who are confined with them as the disclosure will be harmful to the law enforcement agencies ( Section 16 can be referred). To sum up the argument, I would suggest that public body or department can be approached for information but the complaint/appeal should be left to the civil courts to lessen the burden on the public exchequer and the ordinance should be positively discussed on the floor of the assembly for constructive alteration and thereafter be passed as an act.

SAIFULLAH MUHIB,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The Nation

FIR against TV channel – Opp walks out from Senate against Balochistan govt’s move

Web Desk — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:40:53 +0000

By: Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: PPP-led opposition parties in the Senate on Tuesday protested over the registration of an FIR against a private TV channel and staged a walk out from the House.

At the beginning of Upper House’s proceedings, Opposition Leader in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan said that although opposition has reservations on the conduct of media, it stands by media in this hour of trial.
He said that walk out by journalists from the press gallery is not good because the media is an important part of parliament which is “incomplete without press gallery”.

He expressed his concerns over registration of the FIR, which invokes anti-terror laws against the management and reporter of the TV channel. He urged Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid to look into the matter and resolve the issue.

Aitzaz also announced a walk out from the House to record his protest.

MQM Senator Tahir Mashhadi appreciated the role of media and stressed withdrawal of the FIR against the CEO and a bureau chief of the TV channel.

“Today is black day for democracy in Pakistan. The media has always highlighted incidents of target and extra-judicial killings in Karachi… today we all should support the media in this crucial time.”

Senator Abdul Rauf said his Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party would continue its support for the media.
Hasil Bizenjo said the FIR against the TV channel has not been registered by the provincial government. “The Balochistan government can never think of imposing curbs on media.”

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the government fully supports independence of media because it is an important pillar of democracy. He clarified that the federal government has played no role in registration of the FIR.

Pervaiz Rashid assured the senators of all-out efforts to resolve the issue.

Responding to points of order raised by various opposition members in the Senate, he said the case against a private news channel had been registered on the directive of Balochistan High Court.

“The government does not want to impose any restriction on the media, rather it will protect the media freedom,” he added.

Meanwhile, Aitzaz pointed out that the House was not in order as media persons were not present in the gallery.

Senate Chairman Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari suspended the proceedings for 15 minutes and directed the information minister to persuade the media personnel to come to the House and cover the proceedings.

The minister visited the press gallery and assured reporters that the issue would be resolved. Senators Nasreen Jalil, Abbas Khan Afridi, Saeed Ghani and Farhatullah Babar accompanied the minister.
Nisar Ali Khan informed the Senate that law enforcement agencies had so far traced 93 out of 381 disappeared persons from all over the country.

Replying to a question, the interior minister said that law enforcement agencies had traced 48 missing persons from Punjab, 32 from Islamabad Capital Territory, seven from Balochistan and six from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, no disappeared person was traced from Sindh, he added.

He also informed the House that around 381 persons had disappeared during 2012 from all over the country.

According to the record of law enforcement agencies, 75 persons disappeared from the ICT, 153 Punjab, 98 Sindh, 34 KP and 21 from Balochistan. Nisar said that the cases of remaining disappeared persons were being investigated by the seasoned police officers, which were expected to be worked out soon.
All the station house officers have been directed to register the case upon receipt of any complaint regarding enforced disappearance, he added.

To a question, the minister agreed that the aforementioned figures “are not realistic” as they were provided by provincial governments.

Daily Times