Journalists Face Legal Action Over 2020 Allegations Against Jail Superintendent
In a move that has ignited outrage across the media community, a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against several journalists in Mirpur, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir. Those named in the FIR include Abid Hussain Shah, president of the Kashmir Press Club, alongside journalists Zaffar Mughal, Zafeer Bacha of Daily Uraan, Amjad Baig from JK News, and Raja Mushtaq Ahmed. The FIR, registered under Section 22-A at the New City Police Station, is linked to a 2020 investigative report accusing Sardar Naseer Sarwar, Superintendent of Mirpur Jail, of sexually assaulting a female prisoner. The case has drawn widespread criticism, with local journalists viewing the FIR as a deliberate attempt to suppress investigative journalism.
Authorities Defend Legal Action as Journalists Condemn Suppression of Press Freedom
Superintendent Sarwar, who filed the complaint, claims his version of events was never sought before the report was published. He pointed out that a medical examination of the prisoner returned negative results, and the Sessions Court ruled in his favor. After the journalists failed to appeal the case in the Supreme Court, Sarwar proceeded with filing the FIR. In contrast, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and prominent figures like KPC President Abid Hussain Shah have condemned the charges as an assault on press freedom. Protests have erupted in Mirpur, with journalists demanding the immediate release of Zaffar Mughal, who was arrested, and calling for the dismissal of all charges.
