Journalists covering Sindh's lockdown restrictions thrashed by Karachi police

Journalists reporting on the new restrictions imposed by the Sindh government in Karachi were thrashed by police on Monday night.

As per a report in The News International, Fareed Khan, a journalist associated with an international wire agency, was busy covering the lockdown coverage in the city's Federal B Area when he was allegedly beaten up by police officers, reported Geo News.

"The cops shoved me into a police mobile van and continued to roam in the area for around half an hour during which they misbehaved with me," Fareed Khan explained. "I showed my office identity card and camera and told them that I am on official duty but despite this, they continued to misbehave with me and took me to the police station where I was kept under illegal detention."

Khan further said he was also thrashed, despite informing them that "he is a journalist," in the presence of a senior police officer.

A senior photo-journalist associated with a wire agency and a senior reporter of a private news channel were roughed up by police hours after the Sindh government imposed new restrictions in several cities of the province, reported Geo News.

A few hours later, another similar incident took place when Saudabad police manhandled a journalist, associated with a private news channel.

In an incident of different nature, a team of a local private TV channel, including its reporter Afzal Pervez, DSNG operator and driver, were attacked by the employees of a restaurant while the news channel team was covering the SOPs' violations in the city, reported Geo News.

Crime Reporters of Pakistan condemned the incident and vowed to protest against police at the Karachi Press Club today, reported Geo News.

In the aftermath of the incidents, journalists who work late hours were wondering how they would go to their offices on Tuesday in the absence of directive on lockdown and instructions to the police, which the government failed to issue.

Pakistan, according to the Freedom Network's annual state of the Press Freedom 2021 report, has emerged as the riskiest place to practice journalism.

( With inputs from ANI )

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