RAHIM YAR KHAN: Local journalists of and the Pakistan Saraiki Party (PSP) members established a hunger strike camp outside the Bhong police station on Wednesday to protest the brutal torture of police on a local journalist.

Journalist Asghar Indhar said he uncovered the corruption of some officials in his news reports.

According to Indhar, the officials got registered a false FIR against him. Police arrested Indhar and tortured him badly due to which his eyesight was affected and police also plucked his nails.

When journalists from all over the district started protesting against the arrest of Indhar and demanded his medical examination, the police got conducted the medical examination at Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) in which the torture was proved.

District Police Officer Asad Sarfraz assured the journalists that Indhar would be released and the FIR would be registered against an ASI. But the Bhong police forced Indhar to sign a white paper so that he would not take any step against them but Indhar refused to do so.

The police said Indhar was arrested in a nominated FIR registered by a municipal committee official and he was still in lockup because the investigation was in progress. He said the DPO had suspended ASI Abid and that the Sadiqabad ASP was conducting an inquiry in this regard.

MPA Rais Nabeel Ahmed told Dawn that Asghar Indhar had interfered in an anti-encroachment operation and threatened the municipal committee team with consequences. The FIR against him was registered by the municipal committee official on charges of interfering in official matters. He said he was not involved in this matter by any means.

In a late night development, the journalist was released by the police.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2021