Journalists under attack as violence gripped Pakistan

Journalists under attack as violence gripped Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan: Working journalists were under attacks by protestors in Rawalpindi and several of them received serious to minor injuries.

Reporter Qamar Manawar of Dunya News, reporter Sadam Manghat of Channel 24, senior photographer Tanveer Shazad daily Dawn, Yasir Hashmi of Business Plus, Pervaiz Assi of metro watch, Zulifiqar Zulfi and Sultan Shah of Ab Tak television were injured while performing their professional duties.

Journalists were covering events followed by crackdown of Islamabad administration, police, Rangers and Frontiers Constabulary (FC) on Saturday morning against sit-in protesters at Faizabad.

Situation got out of control of administration when protests started pelting stones at security forces, killing one of policemen. Journalists who were covering the scene came under attack when protestors were burning vehicles and journalists were reporting events.

By evening, the federal government called in army for help in quelling protests in Islamabad where the sit-in protesters at Faizabad retaliated to law enforcement agencies (LEAs) operation with pelting stones at security forces.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) have condemned attacks on journalists and demanded protection of working journalists.

Government clamped censor on electronic media and electronic media regulatory authority PEMRA  asked cable operators to shutdown broadcast of all television channels.

Journalism in Pakistan is facing purge since long and Pakistan has become one of the most dangerous countries for working journalists.