Journalists in interior areas suffer in silence
A nephew of CM’s advisor tortures, humiliates reporter
From Ali Hassan
Hyderabad, August 30 2006: Waderas and other people who somehow managed to grab positions in the system of local bodies, have lost their minds because of absolute power, especially in remote areas. A reporter Umer Soomro of Dhoro Naro, a town, hardly 15 kilometres from Umerkot, a district being ruled by the disciples of Pir Pagara, was ruthlessly beaten and humiliated as his eyebrows was removed.
This shameful act and attempt to murder was committed by none other than Qamar Mangrio, an adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister and follower of Pir Pagara. Qamar along with driver Maula Dad and a kamdar kidnapped him Monday (Aug 28) evening and took him to Jadim Mangrio’s petrol pump. According to Umer, he was not only beaten but his hair was cut, eyebrows and moustaches were shaved and shalwar removed. Umer has received several torture marks on his face.
The irony is that the police also avoided registering an FIR. DSP Manzoor Khoso and DPO Investigation Lal Mohammad Abro asked him to go to the TPO and DPO offices for the FIR but to no avail. When the police did not register the FIR, Umer came late Monday (Aug 28) night to Hyderabad, 150 km from Umerkot to Hyderabad Press Club to seek journalist’s help.
Ali Bux Mangrio, a union council nazim, asked Qamar Mangrio and brother of Jadim, what Umer said “teach him a lesson”. The reason as Umer told journalists was Ali Bus’s annoyance over his reporting. The zila nazim of the district is also a Mangrio who is not related to Jadim. “They are distributing relief material selectively among the rain-affected persons. They have made discriminations. When report appeared in my newspaper, they were annoyed”.
Umer further said that Mangrios have been in the habit of beating reporters. They always warned local reporters for reporting with their permission. “In case of reporting against their will, they beat reporters.” Umer lamented that neither the police nor district administration take any notice of their violent activities as they act as their personal servants.
Such incidents of torture and harassment against reporters stationed in small towns have been frequently taking place invariably in all districts. In many cases, their organizations, which usually do not make payments to them for their services as a reporter, also avoid taking any stand against inhuman and humiliating behaviours against their newspaper reporters. The trend of humiliation and insulting reporters has increased especially after the introduction of local bodies system, which has made waderas and influential families more powerful in their respective areas.
Police usually does not take any notice. Safety commissions do not exist in any district. District judges who also have been designated as Director, human Rights Board in their respective districts, does not take any suo moto notice of such inhuman acts by nazims and their kith and kins for reasons best known to them. When Umer Soomro was asked whether reporters of Dhoro Naro and Umerkot have ever complained to the chief minister, “No the chief minister has not been directly complained. But, we informed Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, who was also elected from Umerkot constituency. He ground that the involved people will complain to Pir Pagara against him”.
There have been also complaints against Mangrios for keeping poor haris in bondage. But, as Umer told, the police and the administration do not bother to hear the grievances of common man and the poor avoid inviting any confrontation with the Mangrios.
Source: Daily Star
Date:8/30/2006
” 
” 
” 
” 
