HYDERABAD, Aug 13: Police registered an FIR against director of Excise and Taxation Pir Mujeeb Jan Sarhandi on the orders of DIG Sanaullah Abbasi on Wednesday for manhandling a reporter of a private TV channel, Hamid Sheikh, and subjecting him to humiliation.

Mr Abbasi issued the order when a delegation of journalists led by Ali Hassan and president of press club Junaid Khanzada called on him at his office and complained to him about Pir Mujeeb who had subjected the reporter to torture and issued threats of dire consequences and implication in false cases of drugs.

They said that Hamid Sheikh, who was former president of the Hyderabad press club, put some questions to Pir Mujeeb about open sale of narcotics in the city at the end of a news conference at his office, which infuriated the official.

He became so angry that he directed armed policemen to beat up Mr Sheikh and throw him out of the office. The cops acted swiftly and even tried to strangle the journalist, who was an asthma patient, they said.

As Sheikh’s condition deteriorated, other journalists present at the news conference ran for his help and saved him from further torture and humiliation, they said.

A delegation of journalists led by Ali Hassan met the director after the incident and asked him to tender apology to journalists to settle the issue amicably but he remained stubborn and showed no sign of remorse. Then, they approached DIG Sanaullah Abbasi who ordered registration of FIR.

The director of information Hyderabad Imdad Keerio also arrived at the DIG’s office and informed Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri about the incident. The DIG had also appointed Matiari DPO Munir Sheikh as inquiry officer to look into the incident.

Meanwhile, journalists held a general body meeting chaired by the press club president Junaid Khanzada, which demanded removal of Pir Mujeeb, who was close relative of Pir Fareed Jan Sarhandi, security chief of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

The meeting adopted a resolution, expressing resolve not to cover any official event of the excise department and decided that the journalists would cover all the official programmes.