Journalist assaulted by Khassadars | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Journalist assaulted by Khassadars

LANDIKOTAL: The personnel of the Khassadar force beat up a tribal journalist late Saturday night.

Qazi Fazlullah, correspondent for a private television channel, was on his way to Peshawar when some Khassadar force personnel made him disembark the coach at the Prang Sam check-post and beat him up, sources said. He fell unconscious and was rushed to Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar in a private van.

The tribal journalists threatened to stage a sit-in at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday if the Khassadars who injured their colleague were not punished.

The announcement came after a five-member jirga formed by journalists to take up the issue with the authorities could not convince the political official to bring to justice the tribal policemen who had injured a tribal journalist and reporter of Geo News, Qazi Fazlullah the other day.

The five-member jirga, including Tribal Union of Journalists General Secretary Khial Zaman, met Political Tehsildar of Jamrud Daftar Khan and took up the matter with him.

President of the Landikotal Press Club Saadullah said the committee demanded of the administration to arrest the Khassadars who had injured the journalist and put them into the lockup till the investigation into the matter.

Daftar Khan, however, turned down the request to arrest and lockup the men who had trashed the journalist.

Meanwhile, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Nausherwan and PPP leader and tribal Malik Darya Khan visited the Landikotal Press Club and expressed concern over the highhandedness of the Khassadars with journalists.

The PML-N leader said that journalists were the eyes and ears of the nation and the PML-N would join the journalist community in their protest against the misbehaviour by Khassadars. Malik Darya Khan condemned the incident and said that the tribal elders had protested against the attack on journalist. He said that the local elders would hold meeting with political agent of Khyber Agency to resolve the matter.
Source: The News
Date:9/1/2009