Image Courtesy:dawn.com
“They had tied me up, gagged me began hitting me on my elbows with the butt of their pistols, until one of them received a phone call and I got chance to resist and scream,” Pakistani journalist/ blogger Asad Ali Toor recalled the attack on him in his apartment by a group of unknown attackers. “They threatened to shoot me when they were leaving… but i realised there was no point keeping quiet now… I limped out and screamed for help,” he added. The video clip, yet another distressing reminder of how vulnerable journalists reporting in South Asia are. Especially if they are perceived to be somehow ‘anti government’ or questioning government policy or politics.
Asad Ali Toot standing bravely after being tortured by UNKNOWN GUNMEN, his blood stains from wounds can clearly be seen on his shirt. The attackers intelligently wounded his elbows to cause serious nerve injuries. #IStandWithAsadAliToor pic.twitter.com/ggs6gXSXK7
— Shama Junejo (@ShamaJunejo) May 25, 2021
Asad Ali Toor, an Islamabad-based journalist was reportedly attacked in his rented apartment late on Tuesday. The news began buzzing on social media with a number of Pakistani journalists sharing information. Eventually a formal complaint was lodged by Islamabad police after Toor underwent a medico-legal examination. According to the Pakistan journalists the CCTV footage from his apartment building shows the three intruders.
With @AsadAToor at PIMS. Three intruders forcibly entered his apartment, gagged & tied him up on gunpoint, then dragged him on the floor & brutally thrashed him up. One of them pressed his face on the ground with his feet & the one with pistol hit his elbows with the pistol butt. pic.twitter.com/s37tjXvbvF
— Haider Imtiaz (@mhaiderimtiaz) May 25, 2021
According to the information shared by Pakistan media, quoting a senior journalist, Toor was assaulted by unidentified assailants who broke into his house. It is not known if the assailants have been identified yet, even though it has been reported that they are visible in the CCTV footage. According to a report in the Dawn, police confirmed that “some people came outside Toor’s residence” and a “scuffle took place between him and these people”. The attackers then fled from the scene after thrashing Toor. The injured journalist was then taken to a private hospital for treatment.
With @AsadAToor at PIMS. Three intruders forcibly entered his apartment, gagged & tied him up on gunpoint, then dragged him on the floor & brutally thrashed him up. One of them pressed his face on the ground with his feet & the one with pistol hit his elbows with the pistol butt. pic.twitter.com/s37tjXvbvF
— Haider Imtiaz (@mhaiderimtiaz) May 25, 2021
The amplification of this attack, by Pakistan’s journalist, created such an impact in Pakistan that the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took notice of the incident and has ordered the Islamabad police chief to probe the matter. According to The Dawn, this is not the first time that Toor has been targeted. According to the report, he was “accused of defaming” the Pakistan military last year and had to face a court case in this regard. The FIR, as quoted by the news report stated that Toor was accused of indulging in “propaganda against Pakistan and its institutions on social media for long”. However, “The Lahore High Court absolved him of the charges after the FIA police told the court that no evidence was found to support the charges,” reported the Dawn.
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