Rowdy and unruly: Journalists roughed up, forced to leave

PTI leaders say they had not anticipated the large crowd.


Aroosa Shaukat December 15, 2014

LAHORE:


A number of journalists complained on Monday of harassment at the hands of some Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers.


Journalists from several media organisations had gone covering the party’s demonstration at Charing Cross – one of the several areas picketed by the party on Imran Khan’s call. Hundreds of women workers had flocked to the venue early on morning.

The journalists were harassed in the evening.

“You are working against us. You show the wrong images. This is what I kept hearing,” said Khwaja Amir, a cameraman for a television channel.



Amir said he had been standing atop a news gathering van when he saw water bottles being hurled at one of the woman anchors.

“She ducked but one of the bottles finally hit her,” Amir said. The news channel then aired visuals showing the presenter bursting in tears.

PTI Punjab joint secretary Aliya Hamza said the incident was unfortunate. She said the party respected the media and the women. “We are a party with a strong backing from women. We will not tolerate such behaviour,” Hamza said.

She said the party would investigate the matter and take appropriate action against those guilty of roughing up journalists.

“On Sunday, we had raised our concerns at a press conference,” she said.

General secretary Yasmin Rashid addressed the activists after the news presenter was attacked. She asked them to keep calm.

“We are here for a peaceful show. No one should harass media people,” she said.

Several Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders on the stage at Charing Cross were instructing the crowd to move back. This resulted in chaos among women workers. Confusion prevailed for nearly 30 minutes.

More women joined those in front of the stage amid repeated announcement aggravating the situation.



“Where are they asking us to go? It is crowded everywhere,” shouted Khalida Ghulam, one of the party’s woman supporters.

Eventually, the PTI leaders on the stage made an announcement that all women leave the venue. A similar announcement was made for the journalists reporting from near the stage.

Some of the women workers and journalists had to leave the venue by walking beneath the stage.

Several PTI volunteers panicked.

“We did not anticipate such a crowd,” information secretary Andleeb Abbas said.

She said that the arrangements had been made for a shut down and not for a rally. There were a potential for a stampede.

“That was why we decided to take the women to the other side of the stage,” she told journalists.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2014.

COMMENTS (2)

Darkest Fear | 9 years ago | Reply

I wont defend pti worker but geos role can not also be justified.

Shuaib | 9 years ago | Reply

They attacked a Geo anchor. The whole world knows it. PTI people have vandalized, harassed and even assaulted (throwing stones and bottles at) Geo anchors.

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ