ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has expressed grave concern over the harassment and violent attack on Bol senior journalist Asad Kharal and kidnapping attempt of journalist and social activist Gul Bukhari, saying that both the incidents have similar patterns and indicate involvement of unknown persons behind these incidents.
On Tuesday, Asad Kharal was beaten by masked men near Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore while Gul Bukhari was abducted by unknown persons in Lahore when she was on her way to the Waqt TV Studio on the Fatimah Jinnah Road (Queen’s Road) for a talk show. Though later she returned her home.
Severe head injuries of journalist @AsadKharal pic.twitter.com/AWW0Ql2F9p
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) June 6, 2018
In a joint statement, the PFUJ President Afzal Butt and the Secretary General Ayub Jan Sarhandi said that the police had failed to arrest culprits and they demanded the government to immediate constitute Judicial Commission to inquire these incidents.
The PFUJ leaders called upon all Human Rights Organization to take notice of these targeted attacks by the unknown person and to raise their voice.
They also requested the Supreme Court to take Suo Moto action against unknown actors who were trying to suppress freedom of expression provided under the Constitution.
