Journalists covering Karachi’s lockdown restrictions subjected to police harassment

Journalists reporting on the new lockdown restrictions imposed by the Sindh government in Karachi were allegedly thrashed by police officers.  

What Happened: Fareed Khan, a journalist associated with an international wire agency, was covering the newly implemented lockdown curfew in the city’s Federal B Area when he was allegedly beaten up by police officers, despite the fact that he showed his media identity card and camera to the police officers. He also told them that he was an official on duty but he was still transported to the police station and kept under illegal detention there. A few hours later, another similar incident took place when Saudabad police manhandled a journalist in district east. SHO Saudabad Rana Haseeb allegedly manhandled the news channel’s reporter Syed Wasim, who had gone to a private hospital for media coverage, after taking him to the police station. What Next: Karachi Police Chief Imran Yaqoob Minhas has taken notice of Fareed and Wasim’s alleged harassment at the hands of the police and has assured the Karachi Union of Journalists Joint Secretary Talha Hashmi of taking action against the police personnel involved in the incident.