ISLAMABAD: Scores of journalists, civil society representatives, lawyers and politicians, who staged a torch-bearing protest against new curbs on the media here on Monday, were booked by police on multiple charges, including violation of Section 144, breaking of police barricades, occupying an area adjacent to the prime minister’s secretariat and chanting anti- government slogans.

Secretariat police SHO Rukhsar Mehdi and DSP Gulfam Nazir denied that any case had been registered against the protesters.

But senior superintendent of Islamabad police Zafar Iqbal confirmed that a case had been registered against the mediapersons in the Secretariat police.

“The FIR has been sealed and once sealed it cannot be disclosed,” he added.

He said no arrest had been made from the capital, adding the police were not planning to arrest anyone.

The sources said the case had been registered on the complaint of SHO Rukhsar Mehdi, who was present at the rally and misbehaved with a number of journalists besides trying to take away a former minister’s car.

The sources said the case had been registered on the directive of the government who had ordered the police to take strict action against the protesters.

The sources said 250 journalists were nominated in the FIR. The names of Mazhar Abbas, Syed Talat Hussain, Fauzia Shahid, C.R. Shamsi, Tariq Usmani and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club president Mushtaq Minhas were mentioned in the FIR.

Former federal minister Julius Salik, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) information secretary Ahsan Iqbal and a representative of civil society, Jehangir Akhter, were booked on the charge of provoking the journalists during the procession.

Besides, the police also booked several lawyers and representatives of civil society.

The protesters started their march from Blue Area and reached the prime minister’s secretariat removing barricades and barbed wires thrown by the police.

During the demonstration, the protesters raised slogans against the government and in favour of press freedom.

Some of the police officials deputed on Constitution Avenue misbehaved with the protesters. A number of the mediapersons sustained injuries while removing the barbed wires.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) secretary general Afzal Butt has criticised the registration of FIR against the mediapersons.

He said the journalists’ community was determined to fight for freedom of the press and such pressure tactics would not deter them from achieving their rights.