Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah taking serious notice of manhandling of cameramen and reporters outside the Sindh High Court appointed DIG Traffic Dr Ameer Shaikh as inquiry officer on Saturday.
He took this decision while presiding over a meeting of crime reporters and cameramen who were subjected to torture the other day outside the high court. The meeting was attended by Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, crime reporters and others.
The crime reporters and cameramen protested against their manhandling at the Sindh High Court. They requested the chief minister to order an inquiry into the matter to bring the culprits to book. The chief minister said he believed in freedom of media for which the PPP had always rendered lot of sacrifices. He assured the journalist that no such incident would take place in future. “I have already directed the IGP to provide protection to newsmen during their coverage,” he assured.
Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said he had already apologised on the incident. “Journalists are my brother and they have always supported our elected government. We would not allow the police to harass them,” he said.
PFUJ CONDEMNS:
Earlier, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned the police commandos torture on journalists, photographers and cameramen outside the Sindh High Court. The photographers and journalists were covering Dr Zufiqar Mirza’s arrival at the Sindh High Court for his bail application when they were subjected to humiliations and were also beaten up by the police commandos.
PFUJ President Rana Azeem and Secretary General Mohammad Amin Yousuf condemned the police attitude and demanded of the chief minister to order an inquiry into the matter. On this occasion, PFUJ Secretary General Amin Yousuf, who reached there, talked to Sindh Information Minister Mr Sharjeel Inam Memon, the PPP leadership and higher police officials and informed them of police brutality. Later, the information minister assured Amin Yousuf that he had ordered an inquiry into the matter, and said no one would be allowed to stop journalists from performing their professional duties. The high officials of the police termed it an unfortunate incident, and said they would ensure that no such incident occurs in future.
The honourable Chief Minister of Sindh should be pro active with his departments as the Sindh Police is part of his jurisdiction. The attack by a masked militia in broad day light in journalists and innocent people is an affront to a civilized Society. The perpetrators of this crime should be exposed and punished .An apology to the people attacked and hurt is mandatory by the Sindh Interior Minister
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