Case Update Status

FIR was not registered and matter has resolved over verbal apology.

Summary of Case

"Reporters of 92 News, Aqsa Mir and Photojournalist, Amir Hussain were manhandled and mis-treated by the administration of Civil Hospital for making videos and doing coverage in the hospital in Sibi Balochistan on July 14, 2023. Speaking to PPF, Mir told that she went to Civil hospital along with her team member for reporting as she was assigned to the task by her assignment editor to prepare a news report on Civil Hospital’s performance, when the team went to hospital and started doing coverage after taking the shots and met with the officials, Mir was waiting for the doctor for their version. Suddenly one of the security guard from hospital came towards Hussain and started pushing him and asked to leave the hospital, abusing him and manhandling both the journalists by pushing them, for making videos and doing coverage in the hospital without their consent, Mir added. “I went inside the hospital to take the permission, but they started misbehaving in between” Mir added. “We were there with the permission of the RMO (Resident Medical Officer) of Civil Hospital, Mehboob Kamrani and he ordered the guard to remove us from the hospital” She added. Mir said this was not the first time the administration misbehaved with the media persons in the hospital whenever any journalist or reporter wants to cover this hospital every time they manhandled and harassed the journalists, this has become a routine now. After this incident when Mir called the Bureau Chief of 92 News, Khalil Ahmed, he arrived at the spot. Moreover she said, that the team of 92 News wanted to register the FIR in this regard, but the members of Balochistan Union of Journalists advised them that they will handle the matter and if they have verbally apologized about their behavior then it is the culture of Balochistan to forgive the person if they expressed guilt over the matter. “This is unfair to forgive the staff over a verbal apology, first they manhandled us and then they asked to pardon them over their brutal behavior” Mir added. Amir Hussain, photojournalist for 92 News recalled the incident and informed PPF that when Mir went to meet the RMO he observed that only single doctor was handling 1500 patient at the time, and the condition of hospital was not good ,suddenly the guard came and started misbehaving with Hussain, then he went inside to the hospital and informed Mir about the misbehavior and then they both went to the room of Kamrani where the administration staff misbehaved with the journalists and asked them to leave the hospital. “The guard pushed me and forcefully he tried to snatch my camera's tripod, although the camera was off,” Hussain added. “We did not register the First Information Report of the incident however we informed the Press Club’s President and BalochistanUnion of Journalists in this matter, and we requested the Press Club and Union to check the CCTV footage of the hospital for the intensity of the misbehavior we have faced during the coverage in the hospital”. He added. Khalil Ahmed, Bureau Chief of 92 News Quetta told PPF that the administration came to the Press Club yesterday and they apologized with the team in front of the President of Press club and the members of union and the team had forgiven the administration, but the members of union have promised to arrange a meeting on Monday July 17, to discuss the mechanism of the coverage in the hospital. Balochistan Union of Journalists have strongly condemned the harassment of the media persons and demanded the health department to take notice of such incidents happening with the media persons in Civil Hospital, in a press release BUJ expressed concern on the continued harassment of journalists in hospitals during coverage. BakhtiarAbad Press Club have also condemned the incident, in a press release President Allah Yar Domki said that the behavior of hospital administration and staff is untolerable."

Category of Incident

Harassment

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: "0208- Acts intended to induce fear or emotional distress"

ICCS Group: 02081-Harassment

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: "Acts intended to induce fear or emotional distress"

Reported By

PPF staff group.

Date of incident

14

Month

July

Year

2023

Name of affected person

Amir Hussain

Other affected persons

Aqsa Mir

Name of affected organization

92 News

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By the administration of Civil Hospital.

City

Sibi

Province

Balochistan

Designation

Photojournalist/cameraman

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

27

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 ?: No

Court where case was presented: Case was not presented in court.

Name of prosecuting lawyer: Case was not presented in court.

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

Status of court case: Case was not presented in court.

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

Balochistan Union of Journalists have strongly condemned the harassment of the media persons and demanded the health department to take notice of such incidents happening with the media persons in Civil Hospital, in a press release BUJ expressed concern on the continued harassment of journalists in hospitals during coverage.

APNS

N/A

CPNE

N/A

PBA

N/A

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Not required to contact

Employer organization

Khalil Ahmed, Bureau Chief of 92 News Quetta told PPF that the administration came to the Press Club yesterday and they apologized with the team in front of the President of Press club and the members of union and the team had forgiven the administration, but the members of union have promised to arrange a meeting on Monday July 17, to discuss the mechanism of the coverage in the hospital.

Press Club Status

Press club 1: BakhtiarAbad Press Club have also condemned the incident, in a press release President Allah Yar Domki said that the behavior of hospital administration and staff is untolerable.

Press club 2: N/A

Press club 3: N/A