Journalist assaulted by police
On 30 November 2004, police posted at the Civil Secretariat in Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab, assaulted Zaheer Mahmood Siddiqui, a senior reporter for the English-language daily Dawn, when he tried to enter the premises.
According to Siddiqui, who was quoted in local press reports, two police constables in uniform and 10 other men seized him and beat him severely.
They then dragged the reporter to the office of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yar Muhammad Dogar. Siddiqui added that, on the DSP’s orders, the officials again slapped and punched him and threatened him with dire consequences. The police officers said he was being punished for having published a news story on extortion of money from visitors by police officers posted at the secretariat.
Later, the DSP asked the police officers to take the reporter to the office of another senior government official, Additional Secretary of Welfare Arif Anwar Baloch. Baloch told Siddiqui that the chief secretary, the highest provincial civil servant, had banned him from entering the premises. Siddiqui was told that the Civil Secretariat was not a public place and the appropriate authorities could stop anybody from entering the premises on security grounds.
Later, a Punjab government spokesman said that an inquiry had been initiated into the incident under the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, who had taken a strong interest in the case. He said that the chief secretary had appointed an inquiry officer after the matter had been taken up with the chief minister. The inquiry officer had been directed to complete a probe into the incident in three days.
The governing body of the Lahore Press Club condemned the assault and said banning the entry of a journalist to the Civil Secretariat was nothing less than an attack on press freedom. In a press statement, the club officials said the Punjab governor and chief minister should take notice of the incident and register a case against DSP Dogar and the other police officers involved in the incident. On 30 November 2004, police posted at the Civil Secretariat in Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab, assaulted Zaheer Mahmood Siddiqui, a senior reporter for the English-language daily Dawn, when he tried to enter the premises.
According to Siddiqui, who was quoted in local press reports, two police constables in uniform and 10 other men seized him and beat him severely. They then dragged the reporter to the office of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yar Muhammad Dogar. Siddiqui added that, on the DSP’s orders, the officials again slapped and punched him and threatened him with dire consequences. The police officers said he was being punished for having published a news story on extortion of money from visitors by police officers posted at the secretariat.
Later, the DSP asked the police officers to take the reporter to the office of another senior government official, Additional Secretary of Welfare Arif Anwar Baloch. Baloch told Siddiqui that the chief secretary, the highest provincial civil servant, had banned him from entering the premises.
Siddiqui was told that the Civil Secretariat was not a public place and the appropriate authorities could stop anybody from entering the premises on security grounds.
Later, a Punjab government spokesman said that an inquiry had been initiated into the incident under the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, who had taken a strong interest in the case. He said that the chief secretary had appointed an inquiry officer after the matter had been taken up with the chief minister. The inquiry officer had been directed to complete a probe into the incident in three days.
The governing body of the Lahore Press Club condemned the assault and said banning the entry of a journalist to the Civil Secretariat was nothing less than an attack on press freedom. In a press statement, the club officials said the Punjab governor and chief minister should take notice of the incident and register a case against DSP Dogar and the other police officers involved in the incident.
Source: PPF
Date:12/1/2004
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