GUJRAT: Eight journalists of Hafizabad are on interim bail after being booked by Kassoki Police Station on Nov 20.

They were present on the lawns of the house of former MNA Mehdi Hassan Bhatti where his daughter MNA Aneeqa Mehdi Bhatti was scheduled to address a news conference when Hafizabad police reached there, pushed the media persons out and did not allow them to attend the news conference.

Later on, a case was registered against eight of them, namely Amjad Parvez, Hafiz Azizur Rehman, Shahbaz Gul, Sheikh Javed, Asrar Shah, Javed Asad, Ehsanullah and Shafaqat Wattoo, under sections of the PPC on the report of Sub-Inspector Mushtaq Hussain.

The journalists later obtained bail before arrest from a court until Nov 29.

Journalists associations condemned the registration of a case against the journalists for performing their professional duties.

They have demanded quashing of the case; otherwise, the journalists would stage protest demonstrations.

Police alleged they raided the venue on the information of presence of former MNA Shaukat Bhatti who was a proclaimed offender and some other POs but the journalists abetted them to escape from the scene and interfered with official work of police.

The journalists denied the allegations and termed the police action unjustified.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2024