Security guards manhandled journalists and media workers at the Karachi University on Monday when they were covering a women’s cricket match at the campus.
Female students of the university had gathered to play cricket at the varsity campus today in protest of a match which was forcefully stopped earlier.
According to the university management, activists of the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) had beaten up a few young men and women who were playing cricket together last week. Journalists had arrived at the university to cover the re-match being played by the female students on Monday.
But security staff at the varsity stopped the media-men from covering the match, and manhandling them, tearing up clothes of some of the journalists and hurling verbal abuses at them. The security staff also closed the university gates in an effort to stop the journalists from leaving the campus.
Ironically, the incident took place the same day that the United Nations marks as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. November 2 is observed the world over as a reminder of the unresolved crimes against journalists, and draws attention to unsolved cases where violence has been used against journalists who are simply exercising their freedom of expression and performing their duties.
