Case Update Status

FIR was not registered by the Journalist.

Summary of Case

"On December 23, 2022 Geo News reporter Rasool Dawar received death threats and abuse in response to a request for comment on a story from Minister for Relief Rehabilitation and settlement department of Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa Muhammd Iqbal Wazir. Speaking to PPF, Dawar said that on December 23 he was informed by his assignment editor Shakeel Farman that he had to cover a story on an incident which happened in the office of the director general of a local government where Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister For Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Iqbal Wazir Iqbal Wazir had allegedly harassed the staff of the Dirctor General. “I messaged Iqbal Wazir for his stance on the incident and [on] harassing the staff of the local Director General Hayyatabad. Around 11:39pm I texted him, and around 12:16am he called me and threatened me for asking him the question,” he explained. “He threatened me and said that you did this in the past as well and you are harassing me again on a Whatsapp message, I will kill you and I will sue your organization as well for reporting irrelevant incidents.” Farman said that he had assigned the story to Dawar, adding that there was no update yet from the Federal Investigation Agency Crime Crime Agency on the incident. In a statement issued on December 24, the Khyber Union of Journalists (KHUJ) President Nasir Hussain, Senior Vice President Imran Ayaz and General Secretary Imran Yousafzai condemned the incident. The KHUJ demanded that KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan take notice of the incident. Representatives of the KHUJ said that a journalist is required to get both versions of events for a story and if someone doesn’t want to comment, there are more civil ways to respond. They added that the degrading manner in which the minister had responded would not at all be accepted. Peshawar Press Club general secretary Shahzada Fahad told PPF said Iqbal had misbehaved with Dawar and threatened him,  Fahad said, condemning the incident on Peshawar Press Club’s behalf."

Category of Incident

Threats

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0201- Assaults and threats

ICCS Group: 02012-Threat

ICCS Class: 020121-Minor Threat

ICCS Crime: Assaults and threats

Reported By

PPF's safety monitor's whatsapp group.

Date of incident

23

Month

December

Year

2022

Name of affected person

Rasool Dawar

Other affected persons

No other person was affected

Name of affected organization

Geo News

Other affected organizations

No other organisation was affected

Action by

Minister for Relief and rehabilitation, Iqbal Wazir.

City

South Waziristan

Province

KP

Designation

Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

40

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 ?: FIR was not 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

"In a statement issued on December 24, the Khyber Union of Journalists (KHUJ) President Nasir Hussain, Senior Vice President Imran Ayaz and General Secretary Imran Yousafzai condemned the incident. The KHUJ demanded that KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan take notice of the incident. Representatives of the KHUJ said that a journalist is required to get both versions of events for a story and if someone doesn’t want to comment, there are more civil ways to respond. They added that the degrading manner in which the minister had responded would not at all be accepted."

APNS

N/A

CPNE

N/A

PBA

N/A

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Condemned

Employer organization

Condemned

Press Club Status

Press club 1: Peshawar Press Club general secretary Shahzada Fahad told PPF said Iqbal had misbehaved with Dawar and threatened him,  Fahad said, condemning the incident on Peshawar Press Club’s behalf.

Press club 2: N/A

Press club 3: N/A