Journalists manhandled by police on World Press Freedom Day

Police say they only stopped protesters from entering the Red Zone as per rules

The threat journalists face in the country was typified by how some journalists and media workers, marching towards the Parliament House to express solidarity with their colleagues killed in the line of duty, were stopped by the police leading to a confrontation.

Journalists had organised a rally to mark World Press Freedom Day. The rally started outside the National Press Club and a few dozen journalists started walking towards the Parliament House.

Participants of the rally held up pictures of some of the 10 journalists killed in the recent Kabul bombings and other attacks and demanded an end to impunity for violence against journalists.

 But they were intercepted by the Islamabad Police on Jinnah Avenue near the Parade Ground Metro Station.

Police tried to stop the journalists from proceeding any further and, as a result, a few journalists were manhandled.

“We had permission from the district magistrate to take out the rally, but police suddenly stopped and manhandled us,” stated Shakeel Qarar, who was leading the rally.

He said some of the journalists in the rally suffered minor injuries. Qarar accused SP-City Aamir Niazi and SHO Khalid Awan for unfair treatment of journalists and demanded action against the two officers.



After a confrontation with the police, the journalists staged a sit-in at D-Chowk and were later allowed by the administration to march up to the Parliament House.

A senior police officer, however, denied allegations that police beat up or manhandled journalists.

“We only stopped them from moving towards the Parliament House since we have orders not to allow any protest to enter the Red Zone,” the officer stated, claiming that the protesters pushed the policemen and swore at them.

Soon afterwards, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the matter and summoned IGP Islamabad today [Friday] along with a report on the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2018.