ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has strongly condemned what it called unlawful detention, interrogation and harassment of DawnNews television anchor and reporter Hasan Abdullah by intelligence agency personnel on Tuesday, apparently because he interviewed a Baloch nationalist leader, and termed it a direct attack on freedom of the Press. The PFUJ urged the government to take immediate action against elements responsible for the action.

In a statement, the PFUJ said it would not remain a silent spectator because this was a direct attack aimed at stopping journalists from carrying out their professional duty.

Two years ago, the statement said, Saeed Sarbazi of the Business Recorder had been kept blind-folded for two days at an unknown place. In March this year, journalists Hameed Baloch and Khalid Khosa were detained in a similar fashion. The interrogation of Abdullah follows an August 25 incident in Turbat in which three journalists of private television channels were injured when they were covering a rally held to mark the second anniversary of the death of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.

Also in Quetta this week, Ghani Khakar, acting bureau chief of a TV channel, was beaten up by Frontier Constabulary personnel and in another incident DawnNews TV cameraman Shakir Imrani was injured reportedly by FC personnel.

Media workers and journalists in Balochistan, the PFUJ said, had been under increasing pressure and at risk from security agencies and militant groups. In the most serious case, the BLA claimed responsibility for murdering journalist Chishti Mujahid in Quetta in February.