JournalismPakistan.com | Published June 04, 2012 | Zeeshan Yousafzai
Join our WhatsApp channel
SWABI—Four journalists were beaten up by police as they protested an earlier incident of police high-handedness during a visit to Swabi Monday by Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti.
The chief minister was there to inaugurate a model school in the district.
The journalists thrashed were Ihsan ul Haq, President of Swabi Union of Journalists and Bureau Chief of Swabi Times, Fazal Khaliq, correspondent of Daily Express, Azmat Ali of Daily Islam and Asharq and Sher Azam Jadoon correspondent of Daily Jang. The protesters sustained head and hand injuries.
Ihsan ul Haq told JournalismPakistan.com that on May 18 journalists in the district who were covering a protest against cable installation in Naranjee Village, were baton-charged. Scribes Fazal Khaliq and Azmat Ali were injured in that incident and police registered an FIR against them, Ihsan said.
“We held a protest to press for withdrawal of those FIRs during the chief minister’s visit but we were baton-charged by police and members of the Elite Force.”
Following Monday’s incident, the locals blocked the main Swabi Road at Naranjee for an hour that disrupted traffic. They chanted slogans against the District Police Officer Abdur Rasheed and called for his immediate transfer, withdrawal of the FIRs and an investigation into the incident.
The Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) has condemned the attack and demanded a prompt investigation.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
November 28, 2024: Senior journalist Matiullah Jan has been abducted in Islamabad while investigating PTI protest deaths. Rights lawyers have filed a habeas corpus petition as charges of drug possession and terrorism spark outrage.
May 26, 2022: PTI supporters attack Jang/Geo offices in Islamabad & other cities amid D-Chowk protests—DSNG vans damaged, stones hurled amid anti-media slogans. Political-media tensions escalate.
May 16, 2022: Journalist Zahid Abbas Malik disappears in Lahore amid suspected agency involvement. PFUJ, press clubs demand action as nationwide protests loom over Pakistan's press freedom crisis.
April 30, 2022: DawnNews anchor Adil Shahzeb faces death threats & harassment, allegedly from PTI leaders. Journalists rally behind him as #JournalismIsNotACrime trends. Details on the escalating media safety crisis.
April 17, 2022: PTI supporters harass journalists, including women reporters, at Imran Khan's Karachi rally. Samaa TV's Zam Zam Saeed shares footage of abuse—cameraman injured, shirts torn. Media outcry grows.
March 15, 2022: Haripur Press Club President Zakir Tanoli attacked by masked assailants—struck with knives and pistol butts after chili powder assault. Journalists demand immediate action.
February 16, 2022: FIA arrests journalist Mohsin Jamil Baig after Islamabad raid over alleged cybercrime violations. The incident followed Murad Saeed's complaint under PECA 2016. Details on the confrontation and charges.
April 30, 2025 Freedom of expression in Pakistan is under threat, as the 2025 Freedom Network report reveals increased arrests, censorship, and legal restrictions following amendments to PECA, posing serious risks to journalists and democratic values.
April 30, 2025 Dawn has criticized the Indian media's calls for war and condemned the banning of 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, urging a rational response after the Pahalgam attack that left 26 dead.
April 28, 2025 India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets and individual journalists, following the deadly Pahalgam attack. Tensions escalate as Islamabad demands a neutral probe.
April 23, 2025 Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.
April 23, 2025 Pakistani journalists respond in unison to a post hinting at a possible Indian military strike. Citing the 2019 ‘Swift Retort,’ they warn of a stronger response if provoked again.