Case Update Status

The accused were on bail, according to Khatak.

Summary of Case

Two months ago, in Tangi tehsil of Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, journalist and social media influencer Nasr Ullah Khattak was physically assaulted while covering a government operation against an unauthorized vegetable market. Freedom Network reported that in Tangi tehsil of Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, journalist and social media influencer Nasr Ullah Khattak was physically assaulted in Tangi tehsil, Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while covering a government operation against an unauthorized vegetable market. The district administration had declared the market illegal and issued notices to vendors to relocate to a designated market area. Nasrullah Khattak, on July 26, shared with PPF that he was covering a story at the vegetable market in Tangai Tehsil when he witnessed a controversy unfold. The vendors, who had been operating without authorization, were being asked to vacate the premises by the local authorities. Despite receiving a notice to suspend operations until they obtained the necessary No Objection Certificate (NOC), the vendors continued to trade. As he was gathering statements from the vendors and authorities, some of the vendors became aggressive and assaulted him, damaging his camera equipment. This incident occurred in the presence of police, who failed to intervene in a timely manner. Khattak later filed an FIR against the vendors who assaulted him, and they were granted bail. According to Khattak, the president of the Tehsil Press Club, Khalid. Mansoor was present at the scene and witnessed the incident. He was actively involved in the matter and observed the entire situation. The Tehsil Press Club supported Khattak and assisted him in registering an FIR. Khattak said that he shared versions of both the vendors' and the authorities' on his social media post, uploading them for public awareness. He chose to pursue legal action in this matter, rather than seeking intervention from his organization, said Khatak. Daily Uraan Bureau Chief from Charsadda, Syed Zahir Ali Chishti, stated that Khattak was attacked four weeks ago, but he has no information about the incident being related to the vegetable market. Instead, Chishti suggested that the matter was related to a property issue in which Khattak was personally involved. Neo News Bureau Chief, Lehaz Khan, spoke to PPF and stated that Nasrullah Khattak did not report the incident to the organization or seek help. Khan said that Khattak's reporting appears to be primarily for his personal Facebook page, rather than for Neo News, despite holding a correspondent position. Khan highlighted that Neo News does not provide financial compensation to its correspondents, which can lead to the misuse of press credentials. He noted that this practice is common in smaller areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where correspondents exploit their press cards for personal gain rather than engaging in genuine journalism. Khan illustrated this point with an example of a hotel in Charsadda, where reporters allegedly used their press credentials to blackmail the hotel management after being denied space for a program. He suggested that such incidents are common in the region and are often driven by financial motivations rather than journalistic integrity. Press Club President Khalid Mansoor confirmed that the incident occurred during a search operation at the vegetable market. He stated that Nasrullah Khattak was attacked while taking interviews and gathering information, and the situation escalated when the attackers became violent. Khalid Mansoor endorsed the incident and assured that the Press Club would stand in solidarity with Nasrullah Khattak, providing all possible support to him and his cause.

Category of Incident

Assault

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0201- Assault

ICCS Group: N/A

ICCS Class: 020111

ICCS Crime: Assault

Reported By

Freedom Network

Date of incident

N/A

Month

May

Year

2025

Name of affected person

Nasrullah Khatak

Other affected persons

N/A

Name of affected organization

Neo News

Other affected organizations

N/A

Action by

Vendors of vegetable market

City

Charsadda

Province

KP

Designation

Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

N/A

Marital Status

Compensation Details

Amount of compensation announced by government: No compensation was announced

Date of compensation announcement by government: No compensation was announced

Date of compensation paid by government: No compensation was announced

Amount of compensation announced by others: No compensation was announced

Date of compensation announced by others: No compensation was announced

Date compensation paid by others: No compensation was announced

FIR Details

Was FIR registered ?: Yes

Date of FIR:

FIR Details: N/A

Police station of FIR: N/A

Name of complainant: N/A

Name of accused in FIR: N/A

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: N/A

Court where case was presented: N/A

Name of prosecuting lawyer: N/A

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

Status of court case: N/A

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

No version was recorded

APNS

No version was recorded

CPNE

No version was recorded

PBA

No version was recorded

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Daily Uraan Bureau Chief from Charsadda, Syed Zahir Ali Chishti, stated that Khattak was attacked four weeks ago, but he has no information about the incident being related to the vegetable market. Instead, Chishti suggested that the matter was related to a property issue in which Khattak was personally involved. Neo News Bureau Chief, Lehaz Khan, spoke to PPF and stated that Nasrullah Khattak did not report the incident to the organization or seek help. Khan said that Khattak's reporting appears to be primarily for his personal Facebook page, rather than for Neo News, despite holding a correspondent position.

Employer organization

No version was recorded

Press Club Status

Press club 1: Press Club President Khalid Mansoor confirmed that the incident occurred during a search operation at the vegetable market. He stated that Nasrullah Khattak was attacked while taking interviews and gathering information, and the situation escalated when the attackers became violent. Khalid Mansoor endorsed the incident and assured that the Press Club would stand in solidarity with Nasrullah Khattak, providing all possible support to him and his cause.

Press club 2: No version was recorded

Press club 3: No version was recorded