Action taken against 32 people for harassing journalists, Supreme Court told

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was informed on Friday that action was taken against 32 people involved in the harassment and attacks on media persons while 12 investigation reports were submitted before the trial courts.

According to investigation reports, about 16 cases were registered by journalists at different police stations in Islamabad during the past one year of which action was taken against 32 people involved in the harassment and attacks on journalists.

Out of 16 cases, investigation reports have been submitted before the trial courts in 12 cases. “The faces of persons involved in attacks on Absar Alam and Asad Toor were not clear,” the report quoted NADRA’s stance.

On September 13, a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsen and comprising Justice Muneeb Akhtar and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed, had taken up the suo moto case against harassment of journalists. The bench had also sought comprehensive reports from chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Inspector General of Police, Islamabad, about the cases filed against journalists. Similarly, the court had directed DG FIA to state in detail about launching of FIRs, how they were filed and how many cases were registered against journalists, how many have been arrested and also inform it about the outcome and results of those cases.

Likewise, the court had directed IGP Islamabad to submit a detailed report on arrest of people involved in attacking the journalists during the last one year besides highlighting the complaints so far registered with it regarding harassment of journalists.