Journalist briefly held

SWABI: A senior journalist was arrested when he was performing his professional duty here on Tuesday.

Mohammad Iqbal, when contacted said that Swabi Assistant Commissioner, Sohaib Butt accompanied by other officials and security personnel was talking with the traders in the district headquarters during his visit.

He said that he was making footage of the officials on his cellphone but when they noticed it he was prevented from doing it. Iqbal said that he was performing his professional duty but the officials told him that why he was covering their visit without permission.

The journalist said the officials ordered the policemen to take him to Swabi city police station where he was put in lock-up. However, he was released later.

The incident perturbed the local journalists who called a meeting to decide their line of action. Jalil Ahmad Khan, former president of the Abaseen Union of Journalists body and other members condemned the incident. A senior government official did not attend the call to seek his comments about the incident.