ISLAMABAD: A journalist associated with a foreign media organisation got a case registered against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and other leaders of the party.

The case has been registered at the Ramna police station under sections 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment).

The case was registered in response to a complaint lodged by Mohammad Yousaf, a video journalist working for the Associated Press (AP).

According to the FIR, on November 26 at 7:45am Mr Yousaf reached G-10 near Kashmir Highway for coverage of the PTI protest.

“When I arrived, tear gas was being fired between the protestors and police. While I was covering the protest, suddenly 25 to 30 people used iron rods and sticks to kill me on behalf of Ali Amin, Bushra Bibi and other leaders, in which I sustained injuries, including a serious head injury.”

Besides, his camera and other official equipment were taken away. He said his car parked at the Service Road near the family court was also damaged and its rear registration plate removed. Due to serious injuries, he said he could not lodge the complaint on time.

A police officer told Dawn that the number of cases registered against the PTI leaders, supporters and workers in Islamabad in connection with the November protest had reached 23.

Other PTI leaders, including Omer Ayub, Salman Akram Raja, Shibli Faraz, Shoaib Shaheen, Sheikh Waqas, Arif Alvi, Zartaj Gul, Sher Afzal Marwat, Asad Qaiser, Zulfi Bukhari, Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed and Rauf Hassan were also nominated in a number of cases. Moreover, over 54,000 unidentified people were also booked in these cases.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2024