5 booked journalists to face trial: police
* Two FIRs registered at Frere Police Station
KARACHI: The police have stated that the individuals who were involved in riots outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) will soon be arrested and the five journalists who were nominated in a second FIR will face trial shortly.
On Tuesday, at least 200 journalists offered themselves up for arrest after a handful of their colleagues were arrested during a protest outside the club. The police baton-charged the crowd, injuring several journalists.
The Frere police station has registered two separate FIRs (Nos. 282/07 and 283/07). FIR No. 282/07 (Under Sections 147, 148, 149, 353, 324) was lodged on behalf of Sub-Inspector (SI) Khalid against over 150 unidentified people. Sections 147, 148 and 149 pertain to rioting, Section 353 interference in government work and Section 324 attempt to murder (a policemen).
Khalid is posted as part of the Sindh Reserve Police (SRP) and was deployed on Tuesday along with ASI Tariq also of the SRP outside the KPC for the protest. In the FIR, Khalid has given the statement that he was deployed outside the KPC and around 150 people were protesting there. He didn’t try to stop them from protesting but requested them to do so peacefully. In response to this request the crowd of rioters started attacking the police with batons due to which, both Khalid and ASI Tariq, along with two other individuals of the press Ajiz Jamali of ARY television and Zubair Rehman, an Urdu columnist, were injured.
Talking to Daily Times, Supervisory Police Officer (SPO) Frere DSP Majeed Abnbas stated that, “The policeman Khalid didn’t know who the individuals outside the KPC were on Tuesday and why they attacked him.” DSP Majeed Abnbas further stated, “The police didn’t try to stop the people from protesting, rather they were deployed there as part of security measures. They just requested that they protest peacefully.”
Another FIR, No. 283/07 under Section 188, was also lodged on behalf of SHO Frere Mazhar Iqbal for violation of Section 144, against five journalists – Najeeb Ahmed (Daily Jang), A. H. Khanzada (Dawn TV), Ghulam Mustafa (Geo TV), Moosa Kaleem (Herald magazine) and M Asghar Omer.
Investigation Officer Asghar Lodhi stated that the police has the power to release the individuals on their own behalf and that’s why the police changed the Section 188 to Section 497. He said the matter would go to court.
Source: Daily Times
Date:11/22/2007
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