Case Update Status

No FIR was registered and case was closed.

Summary of Case

"Murtaza Zaib Zehri, the reporter for Voice of America Urdu in Quetta, was trolled by the social media team of Balochistan National Party (BNP) on Twitter, on 23 July 2023 for his reporting on clashes in one of the districts of Balochistan provinces. Murtaza Zehri said that the ongoing feud in the Wadh area involving Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Akhtar Mengal is a tribal dispute. He was trolled for referring to the clashes as tribal feuds. No complaint from Zehri has been registered to cybercrime or FIA. On August 26, Speaking to PPF, Zehri shared that after his reporting on two tribes in the area of Wadh in Balochistan, one group was of Mengal community and BNP’s leader Akhtar Mengal and the other tribe was Zehri, Mengal, and Zehri community had clashes during past years. “I covered these clashes and facts about the Zehri and Mengal community and reported for Voice of America, also I posted the report on my Facebook page on July 23, after which the trolling and the process of doxing had started” Zehri added. Balochistan National Party’s official page trolled Zehri and BNP’s followers trolled Zehri for his report. Zehri informed his Manager in America about this but they advised him not to register any complaints as there were no harmful threats from the Mengal community to him. According to the duty bearer of Balochistan Union of Journalists, Salman Ashraf shared that Zehri did not inform the union about such a situation, and neither did the Union issue any condemning statement against him."

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

Freedom Network

Date of incident

23

Month

July

Year

2023

Name of affected person

Murtaza Zaib Zehri

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

Voice of America

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By the social media team of Balochistan National Party (BNP)

City

Quetta

Province

Balochistan

Designation

Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

45

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

According to the duty bearer of Balochistan Union of Journalists, Salman Ashraf shared that Zehri did not inform the union about such a situation, and neither did the Union issue any condemning statement against him.

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

Zehri informed his Manager in America about this but they advised him not to register any complaints as there were no harmful threats from the Mengal community to him.

Press Club Status

Press club 1: Not required to contact

Press club 2: N/A

Press club 3: N/A