Police fail to trace whereabouts of ‘abducted’ Jang reporter

KARACHI: Syed Muhammad Askari, a senior reporter of Daily Jang, who had gone missing on Sunday night, could not be located on Monday. Askari went missing in Karachi after he was picked up allegedly by police and personnel in plainclothes.

Meanwhile, Askari’s wife filed an application at the Baloch Colony Police Station, accusing police and personnel in plainclothes for “abducting” her husband for unknown reasons.

In the application, Shazia Askari stated that the personnel in police uniforms and plainclothes abducted her husband from a spot near the Qayyumabad Interchange when he, along with a friend, was returning from an event.

She further stated that the personnel covering their faces were in a police mobile and a white vehicle, who took her husband away with them without telling a reason at around 1:15am on Sunday, reads the copy of an application available with The News. She requested the police for her husband’s immediate release.

A colleague of Askari said that the reporter could not be located. “Even they (abductors) took away Askari and his friend’s cell phones with them,” he explained.

On the other hand, the police have so far failed to trace the whereabouts of the missing journalist even after one day. “We are still looking for him,” says Baloch Colony SHO Mazhar Kango. “We will go for the registration of FIR on the basis of his (Askari) wife’s complaint after discussion with the SSP Sahib if Askari does not return by Monday.”

Meanwhile, journalist bodies have expressed profound concern over the disappearance of Askari.

In a condemnation statement, Crime Reporters Association President Kashif Hashmi, General Secretary Rehan Chishti and members of the Executive Council have strongly condemned the abduction of senior reporter.

Hashmi and Chishti said in a joint statement that unknown masked persons took the senior journalist with them, which was a reprehensible act and the provincial government should take this matter seriously and take steps for the early return of Askari. The journalist community reserves the right to protest.

Similarly, an emergency meeting of the executive committee of the Sindh Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Commission was held under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Rasheed A Razvi. On the request of the Union of Journalists, a one-point agenda was called in the meeting by the member of the commission, Karachi Union of Journalists President Fahim Siddiqui, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Professor Dr Tauseef Ahmad Khan and CPNE’s Dr Jabbar Khattak. The meeting expressed anger and concern over the frequent incidents of kidnapping of journalists.

Rasheed A Razvi said that since Syed Askari was not wanted in any case, it is clearly an incident of kidnapping and it is the responsibility of the state to protect the life, property and liberty of its citizens.

In the meeting, it was said that the abduction and disappearance of Askari is also a serious violation of Article 9 and 10 of the Constitution. The commission chairman asked the Sindh home secretary and inspector general of police to recover the missing journalist within 24 hours and directed that a report regarding the incident be submitted to the commission within 36 hours.

Meanwhile, Jang Publications Employees Union (CBA), in a statement, demanded of the Sindh government to immediately recover Askari.

The Union said that armed persons abduct citizens in broad daylight but the authorities act as a silent spectator.

Jang Union President Mushtaq Akhtar, General Secretary Shakeel Yamin Kanga and other office-bearers said that citizens’ protection is the duty of the government.

They condemned the abduction of senior journalist and asked the Sindh governor, chief minister and IGP for early recovery of Askari. They said that a probe should be held into the ‘arrest’ of Askari without any reason, demanding legal action against the persons involved.

In a separate statement, the HRCP said the abduction Askari must be condemned by all democratic voices.

The HRCP said, “That journalists continue to be abducted in this manner, without charge, calls into question not only the state’s commitment to democracy but also its capacity to brook criticism and opposition. Askari must be released.”