3 BRT employees dismissed for manhandling journalists

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) has dismissed three employees of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for manhandling media persons.

The PDA had taken notice of the incident of manhandling of media teams and started an inquiry into it.

Khan Wazir, SOG Security BS-26, Yaseen Khan, SOG BS-26 and Bilal, Safety Supervisor BS-26, were sacked by the authority, said an official statement issued here on Wednesday.

Since the manhandling of any person or group is considered to be an act of crime, therefore, it cannot be tolerated, the statement said.

Meanwhile, PDA Director-General Muhammad Aziz visited the Peshawar Press Club and apologised for the incident. He assured that such incidents would not happen in future.

Earlier, Minister for Information Shaukat Yousafzai had taken notice of misbehaviour and manhandling of media team by the staff of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) at the provincial capital and sought an inquiry report into the incident within three days.

The minister ordered the PDA director-general to take action against the staff of the BRT project who had manhandled the media team, which was covering the BRT project.

Shaukat Yousafzai said media was completely free and there was no bar on it to go anywhere for coverage, adding that it was shameful that officials of certain organizations resorted to the victimization of media men to hide their incompetence. He said the action would be taken against the staff members who either victimized the journalists or tried to stop them from covering the project.