Peshawar: President of the Tribal Union of Journalists and senior journalist Aur Din Mehsud has strongly condemned the incident involving journalists during the coverage of a protest in Bara, calling it an open attack on press freedom.
According to a statement, Mehsud described the incident involving journalists from the Bara Press Club as deeply unfortunate and alarming. He demanded immediate action against the officials allegedly involved in the incident.
He said that during the coverage of the protest, officials of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) allegedly pointed guns at journalists, subjected them to violence, damaged their vehicle, and detained them. Mehsud stated that such actions are not only illegal but also a dangerous attempt to prevent journalists from performing their professional duties.
“Journalists are the eyes and ears of society, and such treatment with media professionals is completely unacceptable,” he added.
The Tribal Union of Journalists expressed full solidarity with the Bara Press Club and the affected journalists, demanding the immediate suspension of the officials involved and a transparent investigation into the incident to ensure justice for the victims.
Aur Din Mehsud also announced that in protest against the incident, journalists across tribal districts will boycott the coverage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police activities. He said the boycott will continue until action is taken against the responsible officials and the safety of journalists is ensured.
Meanwhile, the presidents of the Mehsud Press Club South Waziristan Upper and Lower, including Shehryar Mehsud and Qismatullah Wazir, along with other office bearers, expressed their support for the decision and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting journalists’ rights and press freedom.
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