Newsmen released on personal surety | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Newsmen released on personal surety

HYDERABAD, Aug 27: The Jamshoro police on Wednesday released two journalists, Nadeem Panwhar and Hakim Chandio, on personal bonds in a case of sedition.

They were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raising slogans against Pakistan and a case was registered against them under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 124A (sedition), 123A (anti-state activities) 353 (obstruction in discharge of official duties) and 332 (causing injury to public servant).

The FIR was registered on the complaint of Jamshoro SHO Javed Iqbal against Mr Panhwar of daily Kawish, Mr Chandio (Ibrat) Anwar Chandio (Sham), Sharif Abro (Koshish) Irfan Burfat (Tameer-i-Sindh) and five unidentified persons including three women.

Only two of the newsmen were arrested while others were shown as absconders.

The Jamshoro police booked them following a protest demonstration by the activists of the Chandio Welfare Association, mostly women, at the roundabout of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology on the arrival of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The police said that the two journalists were released by the DSP, investigation, Mohammad Afzal Bhatti, after they produced witnesses in their defence who denied charges levelled against them.

The police said that the DSP recorded statements of the witnesses and released the journalists without producing them before any magistrate.
Source: Dawn
Date:8/28/2003