ISLAMABAD – A district and sessions court in the country’s federal capital on Tuesday granted police a two-day physical remand of journalist Jameel Farooqui on charges of ‘falsely’ accusing the Islamabad Police of custodial torture of Imran Khan’s close aide Shahbaz Gill.
Reports in local media said the journalist, who also hosts a talk show on a private news channel, was brought to Islamabad after a Karachi court granted federal cops a three-day transit remand.
The detained media person was arraigned in court while the cops sought an extension in his physical remand. The magistrate granted the two days’ physical remand of Farooqui after hearing the arguments.
On Monday, Mr. Farooqui was arrested for leveling accusations in a Vlog on a video streaming site, as he claimed that Gill was physically and sexually assaulted during police custody. Law enforcers indicated action against those making inflammatory, fabricated, and false allegations, per the official statement.
A video was also doing rounds on the internet in which Farooqui can be seen crying and claiming that he was stripped and tortured by the cops on the orders of the incumbent government.
#EXCLUSIVE: Anchor #JameelFarooqui crying on #Karachi airport in police custody while getting transported to #Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/edMQJNQfpR
— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) August 22, 2022
PTI leader, journalists’ unions ask authorities to release journalist
Former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chuadhry said Farooqui’s arrest embodied “unprecedented censorship” of the press under Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister.
Senior PTI leader Asad Umar claimed that Farooqui was tortured and that it only proves that there is no law in Pakistan.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists President and Secretary General said, police must follow the law of the land. If Farooqui must be charged all proceedings should be carried out properly. We completely condemn any illegal arrests of assault of any media persons, this abuse of power will not be tolerated.
Officials also urged authorities to withdraw the charges against Jameel Farooqui and to cease the concerning harassment and intimidation of media workers without justification.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/22-Aug-2022/pakistani-journalist-jameel-farooqui-arrested-over-false-claims-of-torture-on-shahbaz-gill
