Ten police officers suspended after violence against women protestors, journalists in Karachi
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Syed Asad Raza confirmed the suspension of 10 officers involved in the violence, including a Station House Officer and several female constables, after the arrest and assault of women protesters and journalists during a day of protests in Karachi on October 13. According to Raza, further disciplinary actions are expected.
According to ARY News, law enforcement officials behaved violently with some journalists while dispersing protestors outside the Karachi Press Club. The protests occurred at multiple locations — outside the Karachi Press Club, Teen Talwar, and Hotel Metropole — by some religious organizations and civil society organizations.
The situation escalated when police intervened, detaining several journalists. On October 12, the Karachi commissioner enforced a five-day ban on public gatherings from October 13 to 17, citing security concerns. The restriction, implemented on the advice of the additional inspector general (AIG), prohibited protests, sit-ins, and rallies across the city.
Zulfiqar Wahucho, the General Secretary of the KPC Cultural Committee, News One reporter Shoukat Korai, and KTN News journalists Allah Rakhyo, Altaf Channa, and Pavan Kumar were among those detained.
Korai recounted the ordeal, describing how the protest was peaceful until police began their crackdown. “We were covering the event when the police suddenly started baton-charging both the protesters and the media. Despite identifying myself as a journalist, I was forcibly detained,” he told the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF). He noted that the incident occurred in the presence of senior officers, including SHO Eidgah Thana Zaheer Ahmed and South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza.
Similarly, Wahucho explained how female police officers entered the press club premises before being asked to leave by the club staff. Despite this minor de-escalation, the violence outside continued. He was later released when officers realized the journalists had been mistakenly arrested.
KTN News cameraman Allah Rakhyo had his equipment destroyed during the altercation. “I was recording when the police attacked. Both my phones were broken, and I was arrested despite showing my press credentials,” he told PPF. Similarly, Altaf Channa, a reporter for the same outlet, confirmed that journalists were targeted alongside the protestors, with phones being damaged and media personnel injured during the police assault.
“The damage was done before we were released,” Channa said, adding that DIG Irfan Baloch suspended several officers after the incident following the submission of video evidence by the media.
The Karachi Press Club (KPC) and the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) swiftly condemned the police’s actions. “The police not only barricaded the press club with containers but also used violence against both the protesters and the journalists covering the event,” stated Saeed Sarbazi, President of the KPC. He also praised KPC staff for preventing police from entering the press club premises unlawfully.
The Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) condemned the police violence against journalists. In a statement, President Ijaz Ahmed, Vice President Lubna Jarar, General Secretary Aijaz Jamali, and members of the KUJ executive council expressed anger. The journalists said the police violated the sanctity of the press club and blocked its routes, preventing the journalists from entering it. Journalists and cameramen covering the protest were repeatedly subjected to police violence, they added.
KUJ Former President Faheem Siddiqui reiterated the condemnation, labeling the assault on journalists as unacceptable. “KUJ stands in full solidarity with the affected journalists, and we demand a full investigation into the incident,” he told PPF.
Source: Pakistan Press Foundation