Case Update Status

Mehboob's father was released on May 19, 2023.

Summary of Case

"Hafiz Mehboob Ali's father was apprehended by the elite force in order to verify Mehboob Ali's involvement in covering the protest organized by PTI in Jinnah House, Lahore, on May 9, 2023. The arrest took place following the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and involved a local reporter from Neo News Lahore. Muhammad Usman, the director of news at Neo News Punjab, revealed that Hafiz Mehboob Ali's father was subsequently released by the Punjab police, and he returned home the previous night after the verification process. According to Usman, the Punjab police are conducting raids to apprehend PTI protesters who disrupted the peace on May 9, 2023, following Imran Khan's arrest. Many journalists and media professionals have been mistakenly arrested by police officials. After verification, those detained, including both journalists and PTI protesters, are being released based on CCTV footage and mobile phone records. In the case of Mehboob Ali's father, he was detained because his phone number was linked to his son's coverage on May 9, 2023, in Jinnah House, Lahore. Shams-ul-Haq, the news controller at Neo News, informed PPF (Pakistan Press Foundation) that the situation regarding Hafiz Mehboob Ali's case is uncertain. According to news sources, the SIM card being used by Hafiz Mehboob Ali was registered under his father's name. As Hafiz's father is a local businessman involved in the wooden item trade, some individuals contacted him for business-related matters, after which he went missing for two days. Hafiz Mehboob Ali, speaking to PPF, stated that he was a local reporter for Neo News Lahore who covered the news near Jinnah House on May 9, 2023. Following the protest, the police have been conducting raids on the residences of media professionals and individuals present at the protest to verify their involvement. On May 17, his father was arrested by the police when unidentified people called his father's phone. Although his father's mobile SIM was registered under the name of Ali, it was being used by his father. ""My father received a call from some individuals asking him to come to Alam Market in Lahore for business-related matters. Since my father is also a local businessman, he went to Alam Market where the police apprehended him. He was taken to Hanjarwal police station and later transferred to Burki police station in Lahore. After the verification process, they released my father, detaining him for 36 hours. No FIR was registered, and nothing else happened. They did not arrest me either,"" Ali added."

Category of Incident

Arrest

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Group: 08039-Other acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts against liberty

Reported By

No media report available

Date of incident

17

Month

May

Year

2023

Name of affected person

Hafiz Mehboob ali

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

Neo News

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By the Punjab police

City

Lahore

Province

Punjab

Designation

Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

32

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: