Seven journalists injured in attack by students
Shahzad Anwar, Vice president of Multan Press Club and chief photographer of Daily “Pakistan Akhbaar” and six other journalists were injured in a clash with the students of state-run Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), when students were protesting for their demands outside the Press Club, in Multan, the city of Punjab province in Pakistan.
According to press reports, around 200 students from the BZU Veterinary Department had been protesting for their summer vacations to be announced but the head of the Veterinary Department had yet to issue a notice in this regard. The students were also protesting that the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council (PVMC) had not yet accredited their courses even after a passage of five years. They blocked the traffic and did not pay heed to appeals for ending the blockage.
Anwar told Pakistan Press Foundation that he had only asked them to let the cars pass because one of the passengers was a heart patient, but suddenly they refused and started arguing during which the students became furious and hurled bricks and stones at press club that caused damage to several cars and press club building.
Seven media persons including photographer of daily Sang-e-Meel, Ayaz Ali Sheikh, cameraman of Samaa TV, Iqrar, reporter from Naya Daur, Zafar Iqbal, chief photographer daily ‘Din’ Zafarul Islam, cameraman Apna TV, Suhail Qureshi, cameraman ‘Dunya’ TV channel Tariq Nazir Chaudhry and photographer Daily Pakistan Akhbaar, Shahzad Anwar sustained injuries. Ayaz Ali Sheikh and Iqrar were rushed to Nishtar hospital.
Jahangir Moon, 60, the coach of Multan Cricket Club and associate member of the press club, who was injured as a stone hit him at the head, was also shifted to the Nishtar Hospital where he died.
Anwar told PPF further that he called in police officials but the police van arrived after two hours. They arrested 36 students involved in the attack including Aamir Rafique, Muhammad Nasir, Tayyab Iqbal, Muhammad Suhail, Rashid Ali, Hasnan, Ali Hasnain, Ashraf, Faisal, Muhammad Waqas, Sabir and others. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malik Yousuf and Cantonment police SHO Rizwan Ahmed Yousuf assured journalists for the detailed inquiry into the incident.
Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Date:6/16/2011
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