Punjab

Murder: TV anchor held

TV news reader, Rehman Azhar, was one of three arrested night for killing a man.

Express May 11, 2011

LAHORE:

TV news reader, Rehman Azhar, was one of three arrested late Saturday night for killing a man.

Azhar, allegedly, stopped a family in Defence and misbehaved with them. The men clubbed the family’s employee and prevented them for 10 minutes from taking him to the hospital. The family, later, rushed him to the hospital but it was too late. A complaint was filed by Malik Ejaz Ahmed Awan against Azhar, Zeeshan and Zaigham Abbas.

Awan said his son was taking his sister to her in-laws in Defence. He said the three men along with others in three cars surrounded his son’s car. He said Azhar started misbehaving with them. He said when he arrived the men abused him. When his employee,Safdar, intervened they started beating him. He said Zeeshan took out a baseball bat and started hitting Safdar.

SP (Investigation) Amin Bukhari said the accused had admitted to a brawl but insisted that the injury was an accident.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (38)

Usman | 12 years ago | Reply and what about this News.. http://www.tvexplore.com/2009/06/md-dunya-tv-yousuf-baig-mirza-under-fire-for-sexual-harassment-scandal/ who broke it? No one... you people are so biased..and ve become an army to protect eachother!

khadija khan lodhi | 12 years ago | Reply this is something really pathetic.we are sufffering from so many problems this time and we are not in position to create a mess like this.journalist community is facing threats now a days.recently we have a gravious loss of late saleem shehzad 's death.i just want to say to the all journalist community that this is not the right time to sabutage the one's tv channel repute.if somebody committed a crime one must report but stop playing on each others.because such manoeuvering would be result into nothing.rehman azhar is a gentleman i can never expect something like this from him.i believe he is an innocent journalist.INSHALLAH GOD will help him in every course of truth.and remember united we stand and divided we fall.................

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Sarah | 12 years ago | Reply I am Rehman and Zaigham's friend and i know what nice people they are and what an exemplary student Rehman has been. I just say ine thing instead of accusing one or the other why don't we just pray that may Allah bring the truth infront of everyone...may the deceased person's soul rest in peace and his family gets the strength to go through this difficult time and may the innocent not be blamed for what they have not done.Allah insaf karey sabkey saath because He knows the truth.

Muhammad Azher Bhatti | 12 years ago | Reply wait for a while everything would be clear....

Tayyab | 12 years ago | Reply Another case of lynching!!!!!!!! But of grave type this time, as an educated, a TV anchor, a self claimed torch bearer of human rights performed lynching and killed a father of nine with just ONE BRUTAL STROKE. Are we civilized?

Abbas Hussain | 12 years ago | Reply I am just appalled at the lack of investigation on the part of the reporter who filed this story. It is the height of irresponsible journalism to publish information without any credible evidence. It is disappointing to see a media organization maligning a fellow media person in such a brazen manner based on poor information. The accused individuals went to the police station to file a complaint against a party which physically assaulted them but in a strange twist of fate they were the ones who ended up in jail. A man who died of a heart attack was falsely termed as a victim of a murder crime (ascertained by the autopsy report conducted on the man who died). The fact that law abiding citizens are forced to stand behind bars while criminals are gallivanting about with confidence is a great sore point of our society. The media should in such circumstances rise to the occasion and try to fight the injustice and contradictions in our society instead of perpetuating them.

Apeman | 12 years ago | Reply "Autopsy confirms head injury." Please note: Cause of death is yet to be determined. People burst their heads open without dying everyday. It's a common injury, especially among young children. A few stitches are all that's needed. So let's keep our judgements to ourselves, shall we?

iqra shahzad | 12 years ago | Reply I know them they r my collegues.one line iz enough THEY R iNnocent n trapped

Reality Check | 12 years ago | Reply To the rescue Police supports police , doctors support doctors, journalist support journalist and last but not the least army supports army by the way, who will then support the masses. The comment on this report high lights the non professional journalist who got the opportunity due mashrom growth of media.This news has noting special to it apart for the fact that the news anchor was of dunya TV. support your mates who cares about humanity ???

Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply With due apology to all of those who wrote comments in favour of their colleague – killer TV Anchor Rehman Azhar and two of his accomplices, isn’t the following story a slap on their faces which confirmed the head injury as cause of death? You all were pained only because of publishing a ‘single column’ story in one newspaper - The Express Tribune – which highlighted the gruesome act of a TV Anchor and why you did not feel missing of this story in other bundle of newspapers and mushroomed TV Channels? Only because there is a TV anchor among the killers and his colleagues had managed to stop coverage of his brutality. We all are extremists and try to influence the law for our wills regardless of who was falling prey of our extremism. Had we felt about the family of deceased Safdar, whom the Anchor killed orphaning his nine children? Moreover the team of killers snatched keys of the car from the fellows of Safdar and did not let them took him to the hospital, where he might have been saved if timely treated. But with the malafide plan fabricated by "CIVILIZED FELLOWS" of the killer Anchor started propagating that Safdar died of heart attack even before the autopsy was conducted. Plz come with a new version as the postmortem report has confirmed head injury! God knows all and He loves Justice! Shame on MEDIA which has given lisence to kill to its employees and also provides umbrella to them from making their criminal activities public. *TV Anchor murder case: Autopsy confirms head injury* Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2011. LAHORE: The autopsy report of Safdar, the father of nine, allegedly clubbed to death on Saturday night, has confirmed that the man had sustained a head injury, said the investigation officer (IO). Three people including a TV news reader are under arrest for the death on charge of deliberate murder. Sub Inspector Tufail of Defence-A police station told The Express Tribune on Wednesday that Safdar’s injury was the result of being hit. He said there was no possibility of the injury occurring due to a fall. He said the injury was on the right side of the head above the ear. Rejecting the suggestion that Safdar died of a heart attack, the IO said that when he took the body to the mortuary he witnessed blood in the deceased’s mouth and nose which was the result of a head injury. He said tissue samples from internal organs have been sent for chemical examination which would take at least one month. He said the chemical report would further clarify whether a heart attack had occurred. Complainant Malik Ijaz Ahmed Awan, employer of the deceased, told The Express Tribune that families of the accused had approached him with the request to withdraw the complaint. He said the deceased had a one-year-old daughter while one of his sons was disabled.. He said Safdar and his wife had been working for them part-time. He said in the morning Safdar used to work in a factory to make ends meet. TV news reader, Rehman Azhar, and his friends, Zeeshan and Zaigham Abbas, were arrested on Saturday on the charges of killing Safdar after an exchange of harsh words. According to the FIR, the accused travelling in two cars stopped a family in Defence and misbehaved with them, clubbed the family’s employee and prevented them for 10 minutes from taking him to the hospital. The family, later, was able to take him to the hospital with the help of the police but it was too late by then.

Akbar | 12 years ago | Reply @haider - true that most of the people commenting in favor of the accused would be their friends or near ones but you also admit that the reason you are enthusiastically arguing in favor of the report published is because you are an employ of this paper, and in one way or another you have contributed to this news piece, haven't you? With all due respect, the point most people here are trying to establish is not that its a poorly investigative report, it certainly is well investigated but on the plaintiff's side. We all know that the story you are reporting is there in the F.I.R, as it is, nevertheless its not justice to true journalism unless you don't report both sides. Now there's not even a hint of what other party's point of view is, and you calling it neutral? Just answer one question, don't you really know that Police can be bribed to write an F.I.R of your own choice? just like they filed one, against a one year old child in Karachi, just a month ago So the point is that story must be reported from both sides and all angles in order to claim true journalism, rest is up to the courts to decide P.S. you can google that Karachi news anytime, else let me know and i'll send you link to that news and several others as well, from newspapers including yours', where it is being complained that police unjustifiably filed false investigation reports against many people

Khillat | 12 years ago | Reply Just want to point out that the above article is an example of biased reporting and not only does it gives a one sided view of what actually happened but that too in a distorted manner. Journalists should try and refrain from baseless and biased reporting merely for creating a bit of sensationalism, and should try and get to the actual facts before they send their articles for publishing.

haider | 12 years ago | Reply @apeman and everybody replying in anchor's favor u guys are getting emotional coz in someway u r related to the persons accused, u cannot judge the situation all wot u can or shud do is pray rather than justifying there wrong or journalism i dont know the anchors or the poor person who got killed, as a neutral person i know what journalism has done and what the investigations have been conducted, i respect ur concerns but for once keep ur relation out of ur comment and see the whole truth which begins and ends that a person is DEAD, due to their participation, 3 cars surrounding 1, killing a poor guy n panicking for over 10 mins instead of taking him to hospital, i mean theres alot to it. u dont debate on what the family of the deceased must be feeling but u show ur concern for ur frnds who did something very wrong to proove what, and yet you claim that journalism is not doing a job. matter is over emotions face it, im not going after assumptions these are facts.

haroon | 12 years ago | Reply TV anchor murder case: Autopsy confirms head injury

Usman | 12 years ago | Reply This is clear exemple of yellow journalism,totaly one sided story.I knew Rehman Azhar very well he is very nice gentel and humble boy.how can we declare him criminal with out any inquiry not depend on FIR....

Patriot | 12 years ago | Reply He'll get away with it. The media mafia will see to that.

Reality Check | 12 years ago | Reply Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2011. LAHORE: The autopsy report of Safdar, the father of nine, allegedly clubbed to death on Saturday night, has confirmed that the man had sustained a head injury, said the investigation officer (IO). Three people including a TV news reader are under arrest for the death on charge of deliberate murder. Sub Inspector Tufail of Defence-A police station told The Express Tribune on Wednesday that Safdar’s injury was the result of being hit. He said there was no possibility of the injury occurring due to a fall. He said the injury was on the right side of the head above the ear. Rejecting the suggestion that Safdar died of a heart attack, the IO said that when he took the body to the mortuary he witnessed blood in the deceased’s mouth and nose which was the result of a head injury. He said tissue samples from internal organs have been sent for chemical examination which would take at least one month. He said the chemical report would further clarify whether a heart attack had occurred. Complainant Malik Ijaz Ahmed Awan, employer of the deceased, told The Express Tribune that families of the accused had approached him with the request to withdraw the complaint. He said the deceased had a one-year-old daughter while one of his sons was disabled.. He said Safdar and his wife had been working for them part-time. He said in the morning Safdar used to work in a factory to make ends meet. TV news reader, Rehman Azhar, and his friends, Zeeshan and Zaigham Abbas, were arrested on Saturday on the charges of killing Safdar after an exchange of harsh words. According to the FIR, the accused travelling in two cars stopped a family in Defence and misbehaved with them, clubbed the family’s employee and prevented them for 10 minutes from taking him to the hospital. The family, later, was able to take him to the hospital with the help of the police but it was too late by then.

irfana | 12 years ago | Reply This is fake story without any kind of investigation .I am surprised how one can publish a story which covers only one side .when our journalism will get mature ..A big question???

Apeman | 12 years ago | Reply @ Rubab and haider: Please understand that just because a newspaper has published a story does not make it true. I understand that people such as yourselves might not have access to all the facts, but taking anything you read at face value is just plain silly. One should exercise the tissue between one's ears, and not make it merely a repository of hearsay. This news report is biased, as can clearly be seen by the fact the "other" side has not been explained. Just this simple omission should alert your intellectual radar that something's amiss. As for the actual story, the case is fabricated. The details (which i don't have time to mention, but it is this newspaper's moral responsibility to explain in detail - something ET has failed to do yet again) show that the death of the person was due to natural causes. Yes, this seems like freak coincidence, but it remains true nonetheless. The medical examiner's reports should prove the same. The only thing these boys are "guilty" of is engaging in an argument. Being educated citizens, they should have just walked away. But that's 20/20 hindsight speaking. You two are representative of the "blame anyone, anytime" mentality which is plaguing our nation -- people who are angry at their own lives, and will take any opportunity to lynch anyone they can get their hands on. You talk about what the family of the deceased must be going through. It must be awful, I don't debate that. But also think about what the families of these three falsely accused men must be going through.

YellowJournalism | 12 years ago | Reply This is a clear example of how our media persons exaggerate some event and this time the victims are not the commoners but their own colleagues.I wonder why the focus of the story is more on Rehman Azhar?? as his name is mentioned right under the picture and being highlighted in rest of the story.If he continued working with the 'Express News' then what would have been the reaction of the 'Express Tribune' ?If the facts mentioned over here were accurate then i would have had no complains with this but as they are not so any sane person would not believe it.I think its the high time that people working in media should learn a lesson from this event and should feel the pain of those about whom they present half-truths.

Issam Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply Looks like a fairly typical call-up-the-thana-speak-to-the-SHO-for-five-mins type crime story, no reporting beyond what the FIR says. Four days after the incident it should be incumbent upon the reporter to at least portray the accuseds' claims fairly and proportionately. Equal weight and detail should be given to both sides. Three paragraphs are given to the accusers' version and only one line to the accused -- this is bad journalism. Crucially, the report omits the accuseds' claims that they never struck Safdar, that Safdar died of a heart attack, and that the autopsy would confirm this. If these claims are true the accuseds' legal culpability is at the very least drastically reduced. All these claims must be inserted in order to write a non-prejudicial report. The reporter would also do well to ask some tough questions of the authorities -- why, four days after the incident, is the autopsy not yet ready? In the absence of independent witnesses, there is no case to answer without one.

Taha | 12 years ago | Reply Why has this story published four days later without a reporters name? Cuz its personal vendetta and i say with knwing whose behind it. Rehman is one of the finest gentleman i know. Zeeshan wont hurt a fly. And yet the story paints them otherwise without any mention of impt facts like the court appearance, the man who died was taken to the hospital frm the police station by 1122 after these boys called for an ambulance, the settlement talk, the wait for autopsy, eye witness account etc. It should either do complete reportin frm both sides or not do anythin like it didnt for the 3 days post the incident.

Maliha Mansoori | 12 years ago | Reply Being student of journalism myself, I can easily say that this is truly one-sided story. how can you miss on the other version and get the story printed of such sensitive nature? this is not just highly unprofessional but extremely unethical. Personally knowing one of the accused, the FIR truly does not make sense at all; just totally against the nature of the person accused. and to be honest being a layman in the field of investigation, i can point quite a few loopholes in the FIR but the crime reporter could not? and the editor did not mind one-sidedeness of the story filed??

Mariyam Ali | 12 years ago | Reply Did this reporter take the verison of Azhar and other boys? Its a one sided story, based only on what Police told and whats written in FIR! Reporter dint even bother to investigate himself! What about Post-Morterm report? You just cant print a story without even investigating it properly. This story negates even the SIMPLE rules of journalism! Disappointing!

Awais | 12 years ago | Reply The story clearly shows an antagonism towards one accused, who happens to be a former anchor of the tv channel, which is a sister concern of this newspaper. Why not mention the version of both parties? Moreover, the narration of events is such outrageous that it neither conforms to the FIR or the account of eye-witnesses. Pls save us from such crap.... !!!

Mina Sohail | 12 years ago | Reply I know Zeeshan Salauddin and Rehman Azhar personally and professionally unlike the person who wrote this piece of fiction. I can't stress enough on the fact that the two are not even capable of hurting a fly, let alone a human life. They both are responsible professionals with a heart of gold. They are victims of a setup, an unfortunate incident and now irresponsible journalism. Rehman Azhar has been a gold medalist in college for academic excellence. He is a sensitive journalist who has worked immensely on highlighting the plight of many in flood affected areas and otherwise. Zeeshan Salauddin works for a private news channel with the dedication and passion i have yet to see in anyone. In my interaction with him in all these years, i have only seen him be the perfect son, brother and friend who would be there for you in time of need. For details regarding the unfortunate incident, Zaiir Hussain's comment should be read by everyone. Talk to anyone who knows Zeeshan and Rehman even remotely and you'll now how false the allegations levelled on them are which are only as a result of innaccurate reporting and misinformation.

haider | 12 years ago | Reply nobody expects such a violence from a person u kno, these anchors were in 3 cars n they were stopped ?? they killed "KILLED" a man n they should be defended, jz coz the guy murdered was a driver an ordinary person they shudnt be charged, or may coz theyre ur frnds they shudnt be charged Cmon. get real if anyone cud have bin thru wot the family of the killed person has been or wud continue to go thru, id say be logical than, u r the ones who r trying to mould words for something supportive to the murderer anchors, these are all facts, and when u justify urself as a journalist u bcum a culprit.

Rubab | 12 years ago | Reply I really appreciate The Express Tribune for unveiling the truth. unfortunately some media persons do not care about laws as they think that they have power to violate the law and pressurize police and judiciary. I'm really happy to see that The Express Tribune is not becoming the part of the dirty lobbying.

Zoya | 12 years ago | Reply This piece of news is defamatory. It is one of the most blatant examples of defamation and irresponsible journalism. It makes statements derived from wholly inadequate research. This publication contains false statements about the three men accused. All three are educated, honest and compassionate men who have become victims of vile mischaracterization. This paper should do right by the public and this profession by issuing a retraction and an apology.

Annoyed | 12 years ago | Reply I am annoyed and sickened by the way media is reporting this issue. Some have their political reasons some have old grudges with these unfortunate guys. TV news channels have their political affiliation with different political parties. I find it sick when one channel make a bad use of a situation like this in which Some guys are in who belong to a different channel. Shame on you media for intentionally reporting a story with dsitorted fActs.

Saleem | 12 years ago | Reply The story clearly shows an antagonism towards one accused, who happens to be a former anchor of the tv channel, which is a sister concern of this newspaper. Why not mention the version of both parties? Moreover, the narration of events is such outrageous that it neither conforms to the FIR or the account of eye-witnesses. Pls save us from such crap....

Burhan Chaudhry | 12 years ago | Reply This story clearly shows abhorrence for the persons alleged in this case. Well i think at least in news paper which still known as a much authentic medium of journalism, we cant publish a story on theories or so called First Investigative Report (with no proves) filled by our POLICE.

Akbar | 12 years ago | Reply Amazed is a small word, one gets appalled by the kind of propaganda, i would say, this piece of news has tried to pull. Distorted facts, ill investigation and personal rivalry are probably at its best in the above news. Not Decent at all... Please rectify your records first, and then report honestly again, if you can, because that is what they call journalism, this was just a malicious gossip

Hooria Khan | 12 years ago | Reply I cannot believe a paper like the Tribune would pay so little attention to the facts in such an important matter. This is the epitome of irresponsible journalism and frankly quite disgusting. I would strongly urge the paper to verify its facts before its disparages the reputation of the individuals involved and not publish blatant lies. These three individuals are the victims of opportunistic accusations and it would do this paper well to judge facts impartially if it ever wants to be taken seriously.

Yawar | 12 years ago | Reply this is absolutely disgusting. prime example of irresponsible journalism.

Maria | 12 years ago | Reply I am amazed at how a newspaper can publish a story without verifying the facts. It is appalling to say the least. I know reporters who investigated this issue and it was actually quite the opposite. Azhar and his friends were hit by a car and people in the other car came out and hit them which resulted in a brawl. The person who died was not hit by anyone but had a heart attack. This is what the official autopsy report said if anyone bothered checking the facts.

Kaisar A | 12 years ago | Reply we are regressing as a society. tolerance is at its worst.... we all are responsible for it including the media which highlights violence and has no standards to follow. zia started it by publically enforcing physical punishments and gradually we are all falling into a ‘black hole’ and using violence as a means to 'communicate' our point of view, both individually and collectively.

HaS | 12 years ago | Reply again the same question.... "ARE WE STILL HUMANS?

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