Rawalpindi
Following reports of thrashing a journalist, accused Nazir Zada, Anti Encroachment Inspector, Rawal Town, on Wednesday, alleged that on January 22, 2016, Khalid Iqbal, senior staff reporter of ‘The News’, met him outside the office of Tehsil Municipal Administrator, Rawal Town, demanding arrangement of a rent a car for him so that he could travel to Sialkot.
“I told Khalid Iqbal that it is beyond my power to arrange any such facility for him and that too for two to three days. On January 26, Khalid Iqbal called me and threatened that I did not favour him therefore he will ‘take good care of me’,” Nazir Zada stated this in his statement issued here.
He alleged that the reporter abused him at the office of Town Officer (Regulation), Malik Tauseef Ahmed and threatened him of grave consequences.
Nazir Zada also alleged that Khalid Iqbal made another demand that he should get him paint from market on loan. “I provided him Rs20,000 paint and he has not returned the outstanding amount yet, whereas the owner of the paint shop is making repeated demands for return of this amount, as I had given my personal surety for this loan.”
Reporter Khalid Iqbal said the inspectors including Nazir Zada repeatedly sought apology from him and also threatened him if he did not patch up with them. The reporter said when he refused to budge, they leveled totally false and fabricated allegations against him. The reporter said he himself owned a car and did not need to seek favour from anyone.
Khalid Iqbal had been covering anti-encroachment drive in past and criticising the department over its failure in clearing the city of encroachment mafia. He could not make such unrealistic demands from the people, whose inability to take action against encroachments he had been continuously trying to expose.
