FAISALABAD: The Civil Lines police on Thursday night registered a case against 39 University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) officials including director student affairs, security head, principal officer public relations, security officer and guards for torturing journalists a few days ago.

The name of UAF Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmed is not part of the FIR as the applicant, Yousaf Cheema, a reporter for Saama TV, removed his name following his (Dr Ahmed’s) visit to the news channel office on Thursday night. Dr Ahmed briefed the Saama TV staff on the details of the incident.

In the original application submitted on Thursday night, his name was mentioned and Cheema alleged that journalists were tortured at his behest.

Police registered a case under section 148,149, 337-A1,337-F1, 337-L2, and 427 of PPC against 39 university employees including Shahbaz Talib, director student affairs, Dr Jalal Arif, principal officer, Aamir Butt, security chief, Dr Haroon Zaman, principal officer estate management, and security officer Latif Niazi.

Sources told Dawn that Dr Ahmed apologised to the newsmen for the incident and said a probe into the issue had been initiated. He said a team comprising three deans was investigating the incident with the help of footages recorded through the cameras installed at various points by the university.

“I had nothing to do with the incident as I was in Islamabad and came to know about it through media reports,” he claimed.

Following the meeting, Cheema submitted another application to the Civil Lines police after excluding the name of Dr Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017