Beating journalist’s son Journalists give 72-hour ultimatum to arrest persons
ISLAMABAD: Rawalpindi/Islamabad Press Club on Monday gave a 72-hour ultimatum to the government to bring to books those responsible for thrashing Hassan Shajil, the son of senior journalist, Shakil Ahmad Turabi.
Leading a protest in front of the Supreme Court against beating of Hassan Sharjil by clandestine agency operatives and the continuing harassment of Shakil Turabi, President of the Press Club, Mushtaq Minhas warned that the journalists will boycott proceedings of the National Assembly and Senate, when their sessions are called, if the responsible persons are not brought to books.
Sharjil, 14, was severely beaten by agency operatives in front of his school on Friday. The journalists, displaying placards inscribed with slogans against the harassment of Shakil Turabi’s family by operatives of government agencies. They also chanted slogans like “Stop violence against journalists” and “Ruling through coercion not acceptable.”
Shakil Ahmad Turabi, Editor-in-Chief of South Asian News Agency (SANA), was recently seriously injured when thrashed by what he called agency operatives, following release of some controversial news stories from his news agency.
Later, some ‘agency operatives’ also raided his house and threatened of dire consequences. The latest attack on his son caused tremendous shock and dismay to the entire journalist community of Islamabad. “Shakil Turabi is being subjected to vindictive behavior to punish him for his independent reporting. Now even his family members are not being spared,” lamented Mushtaq Minhas, in his speech on the occasion.
He cautioned the government that incidents of violence against journalists are increasing, calling for an end to such activities.
Source: The frontier post
Date:9/18/2007
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