Case Update Status

FIR was not registered.

Summary of Case

"A local reporter of Ausaf Broadcasting News (ABN) channel Shahid Qureshi was slapped and manhandled by the Minister of Finance of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar outside the parliament house in Islamabad on June 23, 2023, for asking a question related to the completion of the IMF programme. Speaking to PPF, Shahid Qureshi told PPF that the matter was not resolved President of PFUJ, Afzal Butt, and the President of National Press Club Islamabad, Anwar Raza took me to the office of the finance ministry yesterday to resolve the matter however the behavior of Dar was rude and he did not apologize. “Today all the journalistic bodies called for a protest outside the National Press Club and I did not apologize neither Dar did” Qureshi added. Speaking to PPF Shahid Ajmal, Vice President of Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists told that Qureshi was asking a question on the completion of IMF for which Ishaq answered him as well, but after asking the question Qureshi was running behind him while his camera was on the recording and then Ishaq pushed him and slapped him for chasing him in the parking lot. Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists strongly condemned the incident however the news of a compromise between the reporter and Ishaq Dar also popped up. This is not the first time such an incident happened with Qureshi before this multiple times Qureshi was stuck in the same situation. Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists told PPF that PFUJ did not produce any press release but the matter was resolved on June 22 later in the night between the reporter and Dar. Senior reporter of Abb Takk News Islamabad, Abdul Razzaq Khatti told PPF that the matter has been resolved yesterday National Press Club’s president Anwar Raza compensated for the matter between Ishaq Dar and Qureshi. Asif Basheer, General Secretary of the Parliamentary Reporters of Association told PPF that Shahid Qureshi Dar apologized to him last night for his behavior, and the matter was resolved. Moreover, Basheer said the association would have boycotted the budget session today if the matter was not resolved like this and this is not acceptable that the reporter himself went to Dar’s residence and then apologized to him. Siddique Sajid, President of Parliamentary Reporters of Association told PPF that yesterday the matter was resolved in the ministry office in the presence of National Press Club’s President Anwar Raza, the Bureau Chief of ABN news channel, and Qureshi himself."

Category of Incident

Assault

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0201- Assaults and threats

ICCS Group: 02011- Assault

ICCS Class: 020112- Minor assault

ICCS Crime: Assaults and threats

Reported By

Dawn

Date of incident

22

Month

June

Year

2023

Name of affected person

Shahid Qureshi

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

Ausaf Broadcasting News channel

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By Federal Finance minister Ishaq Dar

City

Islamabad

Province

Capital Territory

Designation

Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

35

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

"Speaking to PPF Shahid Ajmal, Vice President of Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists told that Qureshi was asking a question on the completion of IMF for which Ishaq answered him as well, but after asking the question Qureshi was running behind him while his camera was on the recording and then Ishaq pushed him and slapped him for chasing him in the parking lot. Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists strongly condemned the incident however the news of a compromise between the reporter and Ishaq Dar also popped up. This is not the first time such an incident happened with Qureshi before this multiple times Qureshi was stuck in the same situation. Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists told PPF that PFUJ did not produce any press release but the matter was resolved on June 22 later in the night between the reporter and Dar."

APNS

N/A

CPNE

N/A

PBA

N/A

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

N/A

Employer organization

N/A

Press Club Status

Press club 1: N/A

Press club 2: N/A

Press club 3: N/A