Emergency: Day 4 Detained journalists shown as ‘armed dacoits’ in FIRs
On the fourth day since the imposition of emergency in the country, no arrests or protests took place. However, for a second consecutive day, a heavy contingent of police and Rangers laid siege to the KPC premises for several hours to thwarting any plan of the journalists to carry out a protest rally.
Just one day earlier, on Monday, the police and other law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) had come down with a heavy hand on the protestors, including lawyers at the Sindh High Court and City Courts premises, arresting many members of the legal fraternity, while subjecting them to harsh treatment.
Many journalists, members of civil society organisations, and political activists, who assembled outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on the same day to protest against the imposition of emergency, also met with the same fate. Ten journalists and some members of NGOs were detained by the LEAs outside the KPC.
In this regard, the police not only detained the journalists but registered cases against them at the Frere Police Station. In their report, the police nominated those arrested as “hardened dacoits” who ‘thrashed the police badly’ due to which they got injured.
They also claimed that those arrrested were armed with sticks, iron rods and hockey sticks. Conversely, however, while only one police constable was injured in the clashes, many of the ‘armed’ journalists recieved thrashings at the hands of the police.
The FIRs lodged at the Frere Police Station on behalf of the state, which are two in number, nominated 70 unknown journalists whereas those known were ten in number – which were arrested and shown as ‘hardened dacoits.’
The first FIR was lodged on the complaint of Head Constable (HC) Mohammed Shafique who stated in his report that he was deputed at the KPC and was working there on Intelligence Duty.
While he was on duty, a group of journalists gathered at the KPC and started protests. However, he, along with his staff, tried to control the situation but faced resistance from them as a result of which he was ‘badly injured.’ In the meantime, a heavy contingent of police came and controlled the situation.
In the scuffle, said HC Shafique, the five arrested journalists, Azizuddin, Asghar Ali, Fazal-ur-Rehman, Shariq Hussain and Mohammed Mohsin, also snatched Rs11,000 which
was his salary, and his cell phone.
The Frere police lodged an FIR against them for rioting and dacoity and put them behind bars.
Another case was lodged on complaint of Assistant Sub-Inspector Raja Ameer of Frere Police Station who states that while patrolling he witnessed 20 to 25 journalists outside the KPC chanting slogans against the government who had also blocked the road.
He, along with the police, came to disperse them but faced resistance and held five people, Liaquat Ali Sahi, Fareed Awan, Yousuf Masti Khan, Mir Hasil Khan and Ayub Qureshi, and took them to the police station. The police lodged an FIR against them for rioting and put them behind bars. According to a report, five held journalists were released on Tuesday morning.
Source: The News
Date:11/7/2007
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