Attack on press freedom

LANDIKOTAL:Tribal journalist tortured by security pesonnel

  Khasadars severely torture journalist in Landikotal

By Ashrafuddin Pirzada

LANDIKOTAL: Demanding the forthwith termination of the Khasadar, journalists, political parties’ leaders and tribal elders categorically condemned the brutal act of Khasadars who severely tortured a local journalist snatching camera and cell phone from him on Monday.

Tribal journalist Shamsul Amin Pirzada was busy in covering a protest held against local National Data Base and Registration (NADRA) office in Landikotal. Political tehsildar driver identified as Khasadar Sarfaraz Afridi and his accomplices beat him with their gun butts and iron rods to stop him from the protest coverage.

Shamsul Amin received multiple injuries on his head, backbone and neck. He was rushed to agency headquarters hospital in Landikotal where he was provided with medical treatment.

Khasadar Sarfaraz also snatched cell phone and camera from the journalist and used immoral and unethical words against him.

Landikotal based Journalist s, political parties leaders and local elders met with the political tehsildar Tehseenullah  and recorded their protest against the immoral and illegal act of his driver.

They told Tehseenullah that it was the duty of journalists to cover every event to raise public issues. They told official that Khasadars  torture of tribal journalist without any reason. They categorically condemned the brutal act by Khasadars who injured a tribal journalist. They told the official that Khasadar Sarfaraz  had also trashed another journalist and an elder few months in Landikotal.

Meanwhile, journalists from Khyber Agency held a meeting in Landikotal press club in which they discussed the untoward incident happened with the local journalist. The meeting was chaired by senior journalist Ashrafuddin Pirzada.They demanded of the Khyber Agency political Agent Khalid Mehmood to take notice of the growing incidents against local journalists. They requested political agent to forthwith issue transfers orders of Sarfaraz Afridi. They said Sarfaraz was the Bara resident and should be posted in Bara tehsil.

Journalists threatened to conduct a protest demonstration outside the political agent office in Peshawar and will boycott from the coverage of Khyber Agency administration if their demand was not accepted.

Tribal journalists termed the Khasadars’ brutality against journalism as attack on press freedom. They said that in the past few months journalists across Pakistan especially in Fata were under deep stress.

Senor journalists from Fata including former Jamrud president Zahir Shah Afridi,Sajid Kukikhel,Sudhir Ahmad Afridi,Wali Khan Shinwari,Imran Khattak,Ashrafuddin Pirzada and other condemned the brutal act of Khasadars.They asked the official concerned to take action against the Khasadars involved in the brutal act against journalist.

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Ashrafuddin Pirzada

Freelance Journalist