Case Update Status

No FIR was registered, journalist was released after an hour of detention.

Summary of Case

On 10 Dec, 2021 Faysal Mujeeb, a photographer working for Dawn-White Star was manhandled by Rangers personnel while he was covering a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) event in Azizabad on Thursday evening.

The event, ‘Yaum-i-Shuhada’ was held near ‘Nine Zero’, formerly the headquarters of the MQM led by its founder leader, Altaf Hussain.

Mr Mujeeb said he was doing his professional duty to cover the event. He said relatives of slain MQM activists had started arriving at the venue, ‘Yaadgar-i-Shuhada’ since the morning and were laying floral wreaths and rose petals on their symbolic graves.

“Media personnel were present at various spots at Yaadgar-i-Shuhada to cover the event. I was also standing at one of the spots, near Tabba Hospital’s gate, where many Muttahida workers were present. Some of them started raising slogans in favour of Altaf Husain prompting Rangers personnel on duty there to start detaining them. I and another media worker, Mehboob Ahmed Chishti, were also picked up,” he said.

Mr Mujeeb said he proved his identity as press photographer and tried his best to make them believe that he was on the duty assigned to him by Dawn. However, he said, the Rangers personnel did not listen to him and started beating him up. “They kept me in detention for about an hour and subjected me to severe thrashing. I was set free only after a Rangers officer came and got my identity verified from his sources,” he added.

He said his camera and mobile phone also got smashed during the episode. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) have condemned the “high handedness of Sindh Rangers against the photojournalist”. They demanded action against the personnel responsible for the act under the journalists’ protection law.

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

Dawn

Date of incident

10

Month

December

Year

2021

Name of affected person

Faisal Mujeeb

Other affected persons

No other person affected

Name of affected organization

Dawn

Other affected organizations

No other organization affected

Action by

Pakistan Rangers

City

Karachi

Province

Sindh

Designation

Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

30 Years

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 FIR was registered

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

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

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

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

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

PFUJ: Pakistan federal union of journalist (PFUJ) condemned.

APNS

CPNE

PBA

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Adeel Jafri, colleague of Faysal condemned.

Employer organization

Dawn news condemned.

Press Club Status

Press club 1: N/A

Press club 2:

Press club 3: