Pakistan journalist suffers rib injuries in brutal police assault
May 12, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], May 13 : In an act of retaliation for his reporting on alleged police malfeasance, Pakistan's Punjab police assaulted and detained journalist Jahangir Hayat, including his family, leaving the media practitioner with rib injuries.
Hayat sustained injuries to his ribs and neck from the physical assault, leaving his daughter with a traumatizing experience, reported Khaama Press.
Following the assault, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Pakistan authorities to conduct a "swift and impartial investigation" into the case.
Hayat informed CPJ that the assault was a result of his reporting on crime and alleged police malfeasance. CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna said, "Punjab police officers' assault and detention of Jahangir Hayat, as well as their detention and harassment of his family, underscores the significant dangers that Pakistani journalists face for simply doing their jobs."
"Authorities must conduct an immediate and impartial investigation into this incident, hold the perpetrators accountable, and demonstrate that such attacks will not continue with impunity," the Director added.
Hayat told CPJ that he showed the officers his press card as a form of identification. He said that the officers recognized him and cursed at him with one office, whom Hayat identified as the station house officer of the Icchra Police Station, saying that he would "get rid of his journalism."
Police officers in the Icchra area of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, on May 1, assaulted and detained Hayat. Hayat is a chief reporter for the privately-owned daily newspaper Daily Business, according to a report by his outlet. It is also confirmed by the video of the incident shared on social media, and the journalist, who spoke with CPJ by phone.
According to a media outlet report, local police detained Hayat's wife and a seven-year-old daughter, keeping them in custody for about 45 minutes, as per the media outlet.
Hayat and his family were released without any charges after a group of journalists gathered at the station's gate, according to the report. After the assault on May 1, Hayat registered complaints against the officers on May 9 however, no action has been taken against them.
