PML-N supporters protest outside ARY News offices, attack Chand Nawab

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 1 May 2022

Supporters of PML-N protested outside the ARY News office in Karachi, leading to an attack on journalist Chand Nawab. The protest included violence and threats against the media.
Summary

KARACHI—Political activists allegedly belonging to PML-N beat up Chand Nawab, a well-known journalist associated with ARY News Television.

According to ARY News, the PML-N activists, while protesting outside the ARY News office located in Saddar area of Karachi, chanted slogans against the news channel and tried to damage its DSNG vehicles parked there.

The incident video showed violent activists thrashing Nawab amid slogans against the channel.

Salman Iqbal, CEO of ARY News, stated on Twitter that "This is not right! We are in the business of reporting!! New government new rules!!!"

On behalf of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Lala Asad Pathan stated that "PFUJ considers attack on ARY News as an attack on freedom of press." He emphasized that "If PML-N and the rulers do not stop harassing media persons and workers then nationwide movement will be started."

Other journalist bodies, including the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), have also condemned the incident and demanded the authorities arrest those behind it.

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail apologized for the attack on ARY News and assured that strict action would be taken against party activists involved in it.

He further said that he would personally visit Nawab to apologize over the matter, ARY News reported.

Nawab, based in Karachi, is a popular media personality. Before Joining ARY News, he worked for different print and electronic media houses.

In 2008, a video of Chand Nawab surfaced on YouTube in which he fumbled while reporting the Eid festival in Karachi.