Case Update Status

Police released the journalists, No FIR was filed.

Summary of Case

On Apr 4th, 2020 Local police in Dera Ismail Khan arrested 24 News channel’s reporter Tauqeer Zaidi and cameraperson Wajahat Zaidi in connection with reporting “mismanaging” during establishment of quarantine centre for COVID-19 patients in Dera city.

During the arrest police also took away mobile phones from the two journalists. The mobiles have not yet been returned as police say they are sent to Federal Investigation Agency for forensic report. The TV crew was freed after Freedom Network aggressively highlighted the case and a federal minister who comes from the city also intervened. The district administration of Dera Ismail Khan on Monday denied reports that two journalists were arrested for their critical reporting on the conditions in a coronavirus quarantine center established in the district.

DI Khan Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Umair confirmed that two men were arrested for propagating "fake information" about the quarantine facility and misleading the media and the general public, but he said the men were not associated with any media organization. Former Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mr. Umair accused the two detained men of "creating a law and order situation" in the district at a critical time. "We arrested them based on solid proofs and they failed to even show press cards," he told Dawn News TV. The deputy commissioner said that the detained men were not members of the local press club and accused them of "spreading propaganda" online. They were arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).

However, senior journalist Nasim Zehra and Azmat Shah, a 24 News HD correspondent in Peshawar identified one of the detained persons, Tauqeer Zaidi, as a reporter for 24 News HD TV channel, for which she herself hosts a programme. Journalist Hamid Mir and media watchdog Freedom Network too had earlier demanded the two journalists' release on Twitter.

According to the official, the two men were released on Apr 6th 2020, Monday, a day after they were arrested, after they submitted a written apology and the charges against them were withdrawn

. A DI Khan-based journalist told Dawn News TV that the two men, Tauqeer and Wajahat Hussain, have also been working for Dera Times, a local daily, as a photography assistant and pagemaker.

He said the duo was arrested after posting news on social media that a group of pilgrims who returned from Iran had gone on a hunger strike to protest the authorities' decision not to release them despite spending 17 days in the DI Khan quarantine.

Category of Incident

Arrest

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0202-Acts against liberty

ICCS Group: 02022-Deprivation of liberty

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts against liberty

Reported By

Freedom Network

Date of incident

4

Month

April

Year

2020

Name of affected person

Tauqeer Zaidi

Other affected persons

Wajahat Zaidi

Name of affected organization

24 News

Other affected organizations

No other organization affected

Action by

Police

City

Dera Ismail Khan

Province

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Designation

Camera Person and Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

Journalist denied to share

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 FIR registered

Court where case was presented: No case registered

Name of prosecuting lawyer: No case registered

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

Status of court case: No case registered

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

N/A

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