ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – A special team of Pakistan Rangers raided house of renowned journalist Salman Masood in Islamabad allegedly without any search warrants, the journalist tweeted on Tuesday morning.
Salman Masood is The Nation’s resident editor in Islamabad and a special correspondent of New York Times in Pakistan.
According to Salman Masood the Rangers arrived to his house and said they wanted to search his house as part of a “routine search operation.” The officials called themselves as intelligence personnel but had no identification cards, he alleged.
Rangers have shown up at my house, saying they want to search the premises but have no documents or warrants#islamabad
— Salman Masood (@salmanmasood) January 12, 2016
They carried no search warrants hence I refused to let them in, but they kept standing outside my house saying that they wouldn’t leave with searching my house, he said.
A man in civvies, with them, says he is from “intelligence” but not giving more identification. Insists on property search
— Salman Masood (@salmanmasood) January 12, 2016
Later the personnel came with some higher official and they even thoroughly searched the kitchen, Salman Masood tweeted with photos of team that raided his house.
Rangers troops back,along with a senior officer. Hope they find the terrorist pic.twitter.com/ZiAk8tTFZ8
— Salman Masood (@salmanmasood) January 12, 2016
“Rangers even searched the drawers of my study table and asked if I had any illegal weapons hidden in the house,” he said.
Rangers say it’s a “routine search operation” pic.twitter.com/ItZQAi7mjG
— Salman Masood (@salmanmasood) January 12, 2016
When the journalist spoke to local police officials in Islamabad they told him that a search operation for a terrorist was underway in the federal capital.
Rangers even searched the drawers of my study table and asked if I had any illegal weapons hidden in the house.
— Salman Masood (@salmanmasood) January 12, 2016
Meanwhile Islamabad police has said that as many as 25 suspicious people were taken into custody on Monday night during a search operation. 17 of those arrested were carrying weapons, the officials said in a statement. It was however not clear whether weapons were licensed or not.
Earlier in November last year, police had arrested 45 professionals from hostel including three journalists. The Race Course Police Station SHO was suspended and the junior officials were demoted in a departmental action following the raid, on directions of DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf.
Reaction:
The raid has sparked a new debate online, whether it was really routine search operation or Rangers specially targeted the house of a journalist to harass him in the name of ant-terror operation.
Few of the selected reactions:
Will @AsimBajwaISPR explain why you raided & harassed an upright journalist @salmanmasood & on whose orders? pic.twitter.com/8viJVA0EhU
— Arshad Sharif (@arsched) January 12, 2016
Rangers must follow law. Privacy of home is constitutional right. A magistrate must give search warrant before raid. https://t.co/9s0hdIhATX
— Matiullah Jan (@Matiullahjan919) January 12, 2016
Armed troops raid the home of @NYT Pak Corresp @salmanmasood Now this is deadly serious crackdown on media “terror.” https://t.co/GIMybmGEwP
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) January 12, 2016
Numerous FIRs against Maulana Abdul Aziz including kidnapping but no action against him – today journalist Salman Masood’s home raided
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) January 12, 2016
Condemn the harassment of @salmanmasood -R. editor @The_Nation & correspondent @nytimes Dear govt:Salman is a journalist & not a terrorist
— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) January 12, 2016
Worst humiliation. House of Editor The Nation, Salman Masood has been raided by Rangers under umbrella of operation against terrorists.
— Shakeel Anjum (@ShakeelAnjum9) January 12, 2016
Rangers looking for a terrorist in kitchen cabinets at @salmanmasood ‘s place. Good job boys (Y) pic.twitter.com/f9sMLFbYsw
— Zayad Shafqat Raja (@zayadshafqat) January 12, 2016
Rangers having no documents for raid on journalist house means they can raid anyone’s house anywhere This is called badmashi @salmanmasood
— محمد اویس اکبر ملک (@MalikAwais419) January 12, 2016
