Case Update Status

Sarfaraz khan is now at peace and he is now at his residence after the formation of committee.

Summary of Case

"Sarfaraz Khan, the deputy bureau head of GNN News Lahore, experienced harassment from Punjab police following his coverage on May 9, 2023. In an interview with PPF (Pakistan Press Foundation), Shahzad Hussain Butt, the bureau head of GNN News Lahore, stated that Sarfaraz Khan was on coverage duty on May 9, 2023. Since then, a series of raids targeting journalists in Punjab have commenced, and Sarfaraz has become one of the affected individuals. Sarfaraz Khan himself shared with PPF that since Sunday night, the police have been harassing him and his family members after his coverage of the protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Jinnah's House on May 9, 2023. ""On May 21, 2023, I started receiving calls from local police stations informing me that they were coming to arrest me due to my coverage of the PTI protest following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. I was not alone; I was with my team of four members who were covering the events at Jinnah House. Subsequently, the police contacted me to inform me of their impending arrest,"" Khan explained. ""My only 'fault' was that I conducted coverage on May 9, 2023, and the second 'crime' is that I belong to the Pathan community. I am a journalist, and yet they are harassing me as if I am a terrorist. Through your platform, I want to question the authorities and request them to cease the raids and halt the harassment of journalists' families. On May 9, 2023, we were outside our homes because we were on coverage duty, not because we were aiding the protestors,"" Khan added. Azam Chaudhry, the president of the Lahore Press Club, informed PPF that the Punjab government has established a committee to address the concerns of media professionals and journalists. The case of Shahbaz Khan, which was also resolved, serves as an example of the committee's efforts to provide relief and resolution to affected individuals."

Category of Incident

Raid

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0202-Acts against liberty

ICCS Group: 02022-Deprivation of liberty

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts against liberty

Reported By

CPJ

Date of incident

17

Month

May

Year

2023

Name of affected person

Sarafarz Khan

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

GNN News

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By the Punjab police

City

Lahore

Province

Punajb

Designation

Deputy bureau head

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

40

Marital Status

Compensation Details

Amount of compensation announced by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announcement by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation paid by government: No compensation announced

Amount of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date compensation paid by others: No compensation announced

FIR Details

Was FIR registered ?: No

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: Case is not in any court

Court where case was presented: Case is not in any court

Name of prosecuting lawyer: Case is not in any court

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

Status of court case: Case is not in any court

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

Not required to contact

APNS

CPNE

PBA

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Not required to contact

Employer organization

Not required to contact

Press Club Status

Press club 1: Not required to contact

Press club 2:

Press club 3: