FIRs Against Six Journalists Spark Strong Protest in Mirpur

Faiza Gillani
Mirpur: In a move that has sparked widespread unrest among the media community, six journalists in Mirpur have been named in an FIR at the New City Police Station under Section 22-A.

The charges stem from a 2020 report alleging that Sardar Naseer Sarwar, the Superintendent of Mirpur Jail, sexually assaulted a female prisoner. The case has ignited strong protests from the local media fraternity, accusing the authorities of retaliatory action against the journalists.

Muhammad Afzal Butt, central president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), condemned the FIR and the legal actions taken against the journalists.“These retaliatory measures against journalists are deeply unjust and have caused significant unrest within the media community,” Butt stated. He called for the immediate release of senior journalist Zafar Mughal, warning that failure to address the issue could lead to widespread protests, beginning with demonstrations at the National Press Club in Islamabad.

Butt emphasized the media’s united stance against such actions and demanded the formation of a high-level committee by the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to address the situation, underscoring that journalists should not be forced into protests to defend their rights.

Senior journalist Syed Abid Hussain, one of those named in the FIR, condemned the late-night summons for his arrest, describing it as highly unacceptable. “If journalists are targeted for their truthful reporting, who will speak for the oppressed?” Hussain said, calling on the authorities to halt their actions against the media.

Another journalist, Zafeer Baba, also named in the FIR, declared the media’s resolve to remain steadfast. “This attempt to intimidate journalists into avoiding sensitive stories will not succeed. We have faced such tactics before and will continue to uphold our right to report,” Baba asserted.Superintendent Sardar Naseer Sarwar, the complainant in the case, defended the FIR, stating that his side of the story was not sought before the report’s publication. “A medical examination of the female prisoner was conducted and returned negative.

We filed a case in the Sessions Court, which ruled in our favor. The journalists’ appeal to the High Court was dismissed in June 2023, and we proceeded with filing the FIR after their Supreme Court appeal was not pursued,” Sarwar explained.

SSP Khawar Ali Shaukat clarified that the police action was in compliance with court orders. “We registered the FIR as directed by the High Court. Failure to do so would have resulted in contempt of court. One journalist has been arrested, while two others have secured pre-arrest bail,” Shaukat stated.

As protests continue to grow across Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the media community remains in solidarity against what they perceive as an assault on press freedom. Demonstrations are expected to spread across Pakistan if the detained journalist is not released.