Police attack Geo News office in Islamabad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Police attack Geo News office in Islamabad | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
Police entered in Geo News office building, shattered glasses and started shelling within office premises.
Large number of policemen entered in the office manhandled newsmen and other staff members of Geo News.
Policemen shoved senior journalist Hamid Mir. They baton-charged and injured several staff members. Policemen also damaged vehicles of Geo News.
Police officials also demanded closing camera coverage of protests in Islamabad.
Staff members resisted the police aggression to save the premises.
Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani rushed to Geo News office soon after incident.
While talking in a Geo News programme ‘Kamran Khan Ke Saath,’ Durrani termed the incident as ‘unnecessary.’
He said that the incident by the police force was totally irrational and vowed stern action against the Islamabad police.
[edit] Musharraf apologizes for attack on Geo office
President Pervez Musharraf has regretted attack on Geo News office in Islamabad Friday and apologized for the incident.
In an exclusive chat with Hamid Mir in Geo News programme “Capital Talk” the president condemned the attack.
“We support freedom of journalism and want its supremacy,” Musharraf said.
The incident should not been happened, he said and termed the incident a conspiracy to sabotage the whole process.
President Musharraf also apologized with Hamid Mir what happened with him. He said the people involved in the incident would be taken to task today.
[edit] Attack on Geo News office: FIR registered in Kohsaar police station
An FIR has been registered in Kohsaar police station in connection with attacking Geo News office and manhandling the Geo journalists and employees here Friday night.
Earlier, 14 policemen including an inspector have been suspended.
[edit] 14 policemen suspended on charges of attacking Geo News office
At least 14 policemen identified as attackers on Geo News office in Islamabad have been suspended, DPO Rawalpindi told Geo News.
The suspended policemen include: Inspector Khalid Mehmood, Constable Muhammad Jawad, Farhat Mehmud, Zahoor Ahmed, Kamran, Iftikhar Shah, Nadeem Abbas, Israr KHan, Muhammad Adnan, Muhammad Ali, Naseer Ahmed, Muhammad Naseer, Faisal Mehmud and Asif Mehmud, he added.
[edit] SAFMA condemns attack on Geo, censorship on media
South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) has condemned the criminal attack on GEO TV by the police, and the efforts at imposing press censorship on media.
SAFMA secretary-general Imtiaz Alam and president Nusrat Javed in a press statement on Friday said that after getting panicked over public reaction to muzzle the independence of media, the attack on the GEO TV was a part of governmental efforts not to let journalists report the matters pertaining to the developments around the incarceration of reference against the defunct CJP Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
[edit] Europe-based Pakistani journalists condemn attack on Geo News office
Pakistani journalists based in all over Europe, including journalists' international organisation Out-of-Border, have slammed the attack on Geo News office, banning Geo News prime programme 'Aaj Kamran Khan Key Saath', manhandling of journalists including Hamid Mir and Ansaar Abbasi, and breaking of windowpanes and furniture by police force in Islamabad.
Those Europe-based journalists who condemned this act include: Chaudhry Ghulam Raza, Qadr Mir, MA Sagheer and NGO Oslo Times chief editor and SDP chairman Chaudhry Riaz Gondal, The Asians Group editor Sibtain Shah, Naya Watan editor Dost Muhammad Gondal, among others.
They held President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and state machinery responsible for this attack, terming it a black day of Pakistan's journalistic history
[edit] Sherpao condemns attack on Geo office
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao Friday strongly condemned attack on Geo TV office.
He said inquiry of the incident would be conducted and culprits behind the incident would be given exemplary punishment.
The notification regarding judicial action has also been issued today.
Talking to Geo News, he said that the incident is highly deplorable. The interior minister said that he was told that some policemen, at the bidding of certain police officer, broke into the Geo News office and went on breaking down office infrastructure unjustifiably.
The interior minister said the government cannot think of doing the same and some people who are responsible for the incident have been pinpointed and the action against them would be taken tonight.
Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said that this is not an ordinary incident, vowing to “probe into the incident in every respect.”
[edit] Governor condemns attack on Geo TV office
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan on Friday strongly condemned the attack on Geo TV office in Islamabad.
In a statement here, the Governor expressed sympathy with the workers of Geo TV and said that no act against the freedom of Press would be allowed.
He said that the present government under the leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf had taken solid steps for the freedom of Press, particularly for the expansion of electronic media.
The Governor also took notice of the reports of bomb hoax in Geo TV office in Karachi and ordered authorities concerned to take immediate security steps in this regard.
[edit] Sindh CM orders safety measures for Geo TV office
Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Friday termed the attack on Geo TV office in Islamabad unfortunate incident.
In a statement here, the Chief Minister said that the present government believes in the freedom of Press as it had provided enormous freedom to the Press and no such example could be found in the past.
He said that such incidents should not occur in this country and added that President General Pervez Musharraf took notice of the incident and ordered a probe into it.
Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim telephoned IG Sindh Jehangir Mirza and directed him to take security measures for Geo TV office in Karachi.
[edit] Journalists stage sit-in against attack on Geo News
Over 300 journalists belonging to various media organizations and newspapers staged Friday a demonstration over police attack on Islamabad bureau office of Geo news channel.
The newsmen including cameramen and photographers also staged sit-in in front of Governor House.
Earlier they marched from Karachi Press Club to Governor House to lodge strong protest against the assault of government machinery on media. They chanted slogans against government and rebuked negligence of higher authorities despite live coverage of attack.
A number of citizens also joined the demo organized jointly by Karachi Union of Journalists and Association of Television Journalists.
The journalists appealed to President Gen Pervez Musharraf, PrimeMinister Saukat Aziz and Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Durani to take notice of the attack.
[edit] World media covers Geo News attack
Police attack on Geo News was condemned on international level and world media gave coverage to the incident occurred on Friday.
Condemning the attack on Geo TV and The News, New York Committee to Protect Journalists termed it unjust and barbaric act.
Talking to Geo News correspondent Azeem Mian, Communication Director of the organization Abbey Right held the attack extremely deplorable and tantamount to the sabotage of democratic values.
Reacting to stopping Geo News programme ‘Aaj Kamran Khan key Sath’, CPJ said this act by the government is like strangulating the press.
According to Indian newspaper websites, the police, apparently being enraged by Geo News coverage of Justice Iftikhar Mohammed, broke into Geo News office and smashed the windowpanes.
According to an international French news agency, police broke into the office and manhandled the staff people and threw tear gas inside the office.
The news agency said the action against Geo News might spoil the image of the government.
According to a British TV website, police attacked Geo News situated at Blue Area here and tried to enter the news room and shattered all panes.
[edit] Geo building declared all clear after bomb hoax
In view of bomb scare at Geo TV building, the bomb squad has given all clear and the staff members have returned back to their premises.
It should be noted that earlier building of Geo office in Karachi have been evacuated due to bomb threat.
It was learnt that the information of a bomb in Geo News building was given by some unknown caller, after which the staff members were evacuated from the building.
[edit] PM condemns attack at Geo office, orders inquiry
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday strongly condemned the attack of police at Geo's office here and ordered judicial inquiry into the matter.
The Prime Minister took serious notice of police action at the office of Geo News channel and manhandling of staffers, terming it deplorable.
He said the government believed in the freedom of press and was committed to strengthen the fourth pillar of the state.
The Prime Minister pledged that those found involved in the incident would be taken to task.
[edit] Bomb scare at Geo News building in Karachi
Building of Geo office in Karachi have been evacuated due to bomb threat.
It was learnt that some unknown caller had given the information of a bomb in Geo News building, after which the staff have been evacuated from the building.
[edit] Being Pakistani, I am ashamed of Geo News attack’, says Jatoi
Former Pakistani Premier Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi said Friday that being Pakistani he is ashamed of police attack on Geo News.
Talking to Kamran Khan, he said he had no words to condemn the incident.
Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi said it is being claimed that Pakistan is a democracy; but in this democratic era, these incidents are happening.
[edit] Musharraf takes notice of police attack on Geo News Islamabad office
President General Pervez Musharraf took a serious notice of Police attack on Geo News Islamabad office and passed directives to take stern action against people involved in the incident.
The president said that the damage incurred by Geo News will be duly compensated by the government.
According to Information Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani, President Musharraf telephoned him from Lahore and expressed his concern over the attack on Geo News Islamabad office.
The president said that persons involved in the incident should be pinpointed and said that stern action will be taken against them.
President Musharraf expressed his sympathy with the Geo News staffers affected in the incident. He said that he would also talk to the head of Geo TV network.
[edit] Nawaz Sharif condemns police attack on Geo TV office
Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif Friday condemned the attack of police on the Islamabad Bureau office of Geo TV.
While talking in Geo News special transmission programme ‘Kamran Khan Kai Saath,’ Sharif said that the establishment has started manhandling every important organization of the country.
Terming journalism as the fourth important pillar of the state, he strongly condemned the attack.
The government ban of Geo News program ‘Kamran Khan Kai Saath’ past night is the clear example of establishment’s loss of nerve, he said.
The ex-pm appealed the nation to play their part for the safeguard of country’s security.
[edit] Altaf Hussain grieved over police attack at Geo News
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain condemned Friday the police attack on Geo News Islamabad office in strongest terms.
Talking to Geo News (Kamran Khan), MQM chief said he is extremely grieved on this sad incident of police attack on Geo News Islamabad office.
He termed the attack as barbaric and satanic act and demanded President Musharraf to take stern notice of the incident.
Altaf Hussain urged Federal Information Minister to put an end to this injustice, as it is putting the country into chaos.
 |
This article is uncategorized.
Please help improve this article by adding it to one or more categories, so it may be associated with related articles (how?). Please remove this tag after categorizing, but not before. |
