PESHAWAR: The journalist community from Peshawar and adjacent tribal areas condemned the arrest of Khyber Agency newsman Khalil Jibran Afridi and Landi Kotal press club employee.
They demanded an early release of both, otherwise, they threatened to call fellow media persons from all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for arranging protest rallies and demonstrations.
The demand was made through a resolution adopted in a joint meeting at Peshawar Press Club on Monday. The joint meeting was followed by a rally in which a large number of journalists participated. The meeting was concluded with an address by Khyber Union of Journalists President Mr Saif Ul Islam Saifi.
The protesters had chanted slogans against high-ups of security forces and administrative officers of Khyber Agency and also demanded action against the officers responsible for arresting at least five journalists in Landi Kotal Khyber Agency on the previous Friday. One employee of Landi Kotal Press Club is still in custody whereas the other four were later freed after a thorough interrogation and torture for around 12 hours.
Khalil Jibran along with four other colleagues was on coverage of a car rally from Khyber till Karachi when Khasadar forces personnel pointed out an Improvise Explosive Devise (IED), planted under his car. They stopped and disembarked the vehicle. Later the magnetic IED was defused by personnel of Khyber Rifles, a wing of Frontier Corps. However, later all on board, along with the employees of Landi Kotal Press Club and the motor mechanics were summoned by high-ups of security forces.
Journalists from Khyber Agency said that security forces have now asked them to surrender the terrorist who planted the device otherwise they will not release Khalil and the employee.
Journalists from Peshawar, Khyber Agency and others assembled at Peshawar Press Club discussed the situation that erupted with the arrest of Khalil Jibran Afridi and the employee of Landi Kotal Press Club. They said that the political agent of Khyber Agency has expressed his inability to do anything in this matter and suggested them to knock on other doors.
The protesting journalists inside PPC were addressed by Peshawar Press Club Vice President Farid Ullah Khan, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (Barna group) Senior Vice President Shamim Shahid, Hussain Afridi, Abdul Azam Shinwar, Ibrahim Shinwari, Farooq Afridi, Sudher Afridi and others. They condemned the arrests and termed it a negative, immoral and unethical act.
Amidst chanting slogans against the government, political administration of Khyber Agency and the security forces, protesting journalists on Sher Shah Suri Road were urged by Mr Saif Ul Islam Saifi who demanded the government to order early release of arrested persons. He threatened of calling journalist bodies throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the adjoining Tribal belt for arranging protest rallies.
He said that government organs are always hiding its own failures through such acts, especially arresting innocent people including journalists.
