Geo TV staffers manhandled
KARACHI – Two staffers of Geo, an independent TV channel, were manhandled in Karachi on August 27, by officials of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).
Reporter, Mohammad Bin Yousaf, and cameraman, Mehboob Ali, were trying to cover a narcotics raid for their station. They introduced themselves to the ANF officials, who prevented them from filming the raid by breaking their camera and snatching their mobile phones. The staffers were roughed up and taken to the ANF police station, where they were detained for four hours.
The ANF authorities initially denied the incident. However, on the intervention of Joint Director of ANF, Col Khizr Ilyas, the detained journalists were released and the authorities apologized to the Geo for manhandling the journalists. A tape snatched from the cameraman was returned later but was found to be blank.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) condemned the act and demanded the government initiate an inquiry into the incident and take measures to avoid such incidents in future.
Source: PPF
Date:8/27/2004
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