Journalist asks ASF high-ups to probe airport assault
PESHAWAR: Tariq Orakzai, a radio journalist, who was brutally injured by the Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel on Saturday, has demanded the involvement of senior officials in a probe against the ASF personnel.
Orakzai, an employee of Prague-based Mashaal Radio, had gone to The Baacha Khan International Airport to see-off his family members who were leaving for Umrah. Orakzai demanded that the ASF officials must probe the incident. They must take an action against the officers responsible, he added.
The incident happened when Orakzai was asked to offload passengers, including women, for security check, and as he was waiting to have the family members get back into the car, the ASF personnel lost temper and started beating him, while he was sitting on driving seat.
Orakzai had received wounds on head and face and was now recovering at home. “They held me as hostage for more than two hours, and were least bothered about bleeding from my head and eyebrows,” he said.
Orakzai said that he pleaded the ASF personnel to let him get back to his family members as they were not familiar with the airport, however, the ASF personnel did not take his plea into consideration and started to beat him. The ASF personnel also ignored public requests to let the journalist go.
Orakzai said that Raees Khan, the security officer at the airport, contacted him to record the statement regarding the incident and also warned him against bringing anybody with him to the airport. He said that Raees told him that he could not pressurise him and should come alone. However, Orakzai avoided going to the airport alone, while Raees Khan was still unwilling to let him accompanied by “others”.
Orakzai said the ASF personnel “humiliated” him in front of his family members and that he was seeking an “unconditional apology” from the airport personnel.
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