Sindh IGP orders probe into ‘fake cases’ against journalists

Sindh police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon, concerned over reports of registration of alleged fake cases against journalists, has ordered the formation of a probe team with terms of reference.

Officials said on Wednesday the inspector general of police took action after a delegation of journalists met him and shown their concerns over the registration of fake cases against journalists.

They added that the IGP ordered the additional IG of Karachi Range and the DIGs of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad ranges to constitute regional oversight committees to redress grievances where media reporters were involved in police cases.

The officials said that recently a meeting was also chaired by the IGP and it was attended by members of the journalist community, including members of press clubs in the Hyderabad Range.

The members of the press clubs raised their concern over the registration of what they called “false FIRs” against reporters and requested formulation of oversight regional committees consisting of police, press and human rights representatives with the mandate to check all such cases lodged against reporters and redress their grievances.

IGP Memon ordered formation of range and zonal level committees under the supervision of range and zonal DIGs consisting of police, press and human rights representatives. In this regard, the following officers and office- bearers have been nominated to be part of the regional committees.

Range and zonal DIGs will be chairmen of the committees, while district SSPs of South, East, Central, Hyderabad, SBA, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana will be members. Other members are the presidents and general secretaries of the press clubs, the regional head of the Human Rights Commission.

The officials said that as per the terms of reference are, the committee will hold regular meetings to review process on the applications from reporters, give patient hearings to the aggrieved reporters, the complainant in the FIRs and the investigation officers and review the prime facie evidence on record. It will give findings and recommendations to district SSPs to dispose of the case.