Dawn photographer harassed | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Dawn photographer harassed

Karachi- Nov 14: One of the photographer of Dawn, on official assignment, was on Tuesday evening detained by the law-enforcement agencies for at least and hour and let off only after he surrendered his camera film. The camera roll was later returned to Dawn, minus some ten negatives.

The photographer was on the overhead bridge near the Gora Qabristan, clicking away at a traffic jam, when he was asked by a policeman to accompany him to the Saddar Police Station. There a police officer misbehaved with the photographer, threatening him a number of times.

The photographer was asked repeatedly to surrender his camera or film roll. This he refused to do, thereby angering the policeman on duty.

Then the photographer was taken to an army establishment near NICVD for questioning. Later, he was escorted to an office near the Navel Mess off Sharea Faisal. There he was interrogated by some army officers about his presence at the overhead bridge in front of Gora Qabristan.

“Taking pictures of traffic jam,” said the photographer. This didn’t satisfy the officers present and the questioning continued. Finally, the photographer had to relent and hand over the camera film to the officers. (The film was later delivered to Dawn’s offices after it was developed and ten of the negatives removed.)
Source: Dawn
Date:11/15/2000