(PPF/IFEX) – On 27 September 1998 members of the religious group Tehrik e Jafaria Pakistan (TJP) attacked four photojournalists in Karachi, damaging their cameras and other equipment. The journalists were covering the funeral of the slain TJP leader and his son. Mourners became agitated after the funeral and set buses and tires ablaze, as a […]
(PPF/IFEX) – On 27 September 1998 members of the religious group Tehrik e
Jafaria Pakistan (TJP) attacked four photojournalists in Karachi, damaging
their cameras and other equipment. The journalists were covering the funeral
of the slain TJP leader and his son.
Mourners became agitated after the funeral and set buses and tires ablaze,
as a result of which the Para Military Rangers started firing to disperse
the crowd. The infuriated mob returned their fire, leaving two persons dead
and 11 injured.
The four photojournalists were on their way to their newspaper offices after
covering the incident, when they were stopped and surrounded by 20 to 25 TJP
activists who seized and damaged their cameras and manhandled them to
prevent the publication of photographs of the incident. The names of the
injured journalists are Shoaib Ahmad of “Jang”, Riaz Shahid of “Ibrat”,
Javed Jeayja of “Kawish” and Ashraf Memeon of “Qaumi Akhbar”.
Pakistan Association of Press Photographers (PAPP) strongly condemned the
attack and demanded that the Sindh government arrest the culprits and
compensate the photographers who were deprived of their cameras and other
equipment. The association also appealed to all political and religious
parties and law enforcement agencies not to interfere in the professional
duties of photojournalists. The Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) has asked
the political and religious organisations and their activists to refrain
from harassing journalists. In a statement, KUJ President Rashid Aziz and
Secretary General Sohail Afzal said that during protests against the
government or administration, political and religious organisations should
not take action against journalists and photographers covering such events.
