Sarfraz Wistro, a reporter for the Sindhi-language newspaper "Daily Ibrat", was attacked by assailants who were waiting for him one night outside his house.
(PPF/IFEX) – On 22 July 2010, Sarfraz Wistro, head reporter of the Sindhi-language newspaper “Daily Ibrat”, was beaten up by unknown persons near his residence in the city of Hyderabad, in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh.
Wistro told PPF that when his friends dropped him off at his residence at 2 a.m., five people who were waiting in a white car attacked him. Wistro said the assailants were armed with hand clips and they hit him on the face, shoulder, arms, hands and legs.
The attackers stole Wistro’s mobile phone and 12,000 rupees (approx. US$140) in cash and beat him till he lost consciousness.
The attackers ran away as security guards and other bystanders rushed to save the reporter.
Wistro was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Hyderabad.
Wistro said he feels he was attacked because of his journalistic activities. He has filed a report with the police against the five unknown assailants.
Meanwhile, local journalists held a protest rally in front of the Hyderabad Press Club on 23 July. The journalists condemned the attack and demanded that the government take stern action against the attackers. They also demanded that the government protect working journalists.
