Zubair Anjum, an executive producer associated with the private channel ‘Geo News’, was allegedly ‘picked up’ from his residence by men dressed in sah clothes.
In the report of Geo News, it was said with reference to the family members that there were police officers along with the people in plain clothes, but the police refused to arrest them.
The journalist’s brother Saadat Ali told Dawn that around 1 am on Tuesday night, some plainclothes and some police uniformed officials entered his house.
He said that some of the officers carrying guns and wearing masks were in a ‘hurry’ and forcibly took his brother away.
Saadat Ali further said that the officials also took Zubair Anjum’s mobile phone and the DVR of the cameras installed in the neighborhood.
Korangi SSP Tariq Nawaz told the media that the police had no information about the arrest of the journalist, he clarified that the Korangi district police did not arrest him.
SSP Tariq Nawaz further said that we are investigating the incident.
Expression of condemnation
Several local and international media organizations condemned the forced disappearance of the journalist and appealed to the Prime Minister, Interior Minister, Foreign Minister, Chief Minister Sindh and IGP Sindh to take immediate notice and release Zubair Anjum immediately.
The International Federation of Journalists and its affiliated organization Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists condemned the disappearance of the journalist and demanded the law enforcement agencies and the government to start an immediate investigation.
A statement from the Karachi Press Club said that Zubair Anjum was a member and condemned his ‘kidnapping at gunpoint’ and moving him to an unknown location.
KPC termed this move as hostage to the freedom of the media and restrictions on the freedom of expression.
The Press Club termed the forced entry into the producer’s house late Monday night, kidnapping him at gunpoint and harassing his family as ‘state terrorism’.
Different factions of the Karachi Union of Journalists also alleged in their respective statements that two police mobiles and a double cabin van reached Zubair Anjum’s house late on Monday night and the officers took him away without any warrant and subjected him to torture.
In a tweet, the Secretary General of KJK also announced to hold a protest at 3:30 pm on the ‘kidnapping of Geo News journalist’.
It should be noted that a few days before Karachi, well-known lawyer and social activist Gibran Nasir was also picked up on his way back home.
His disappearance was widely condemned by journalists, members of civil society, and Gibran returned home a day after being detained.
Earlier, senior journalist Sami Ibrahim was picked up by unknown persons in Islamabad who returned home six days later on May 30.
Meanwhile, anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan, who was arrested by law enforcement agencies at the Sialkot airport on May 11 for hate speech following violent protests across the country following the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan. And then picked up by ‘persons unknown’, still missing.
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The family members further said that 2 police mobiles and a double cabin vehicle came to the journalist’s residence in Model Colony, from which the officials entered his house and took away Zubair Anjum and the family members also alleged harassment.
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