By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi
KHYBER: Aur Din Mehsud, president of the Tribal Union of Journalists, condemned in strong terms the reported harassment of journalists during coverage of a protest in Bara, calling it an open attack on press freedom.
Speaking on the incident, Mehsud described the actions of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel — including brandishing firearms, assaulting journalists, damaging their vehicle, and detaining them — as illegal and a serious attempt to prevent journalists from performing their professional duties. He stressed that journalists are the eyes and ears of society, and such treatment is unacceptable.
The union expressed full solidarity with the affected Bara Press Club journalists and demanded the immediate suspension of the officers involved, along with a transparent investigation to ensure justice for the victims.
In a significant move, Aur Din Mehsud announced that in protest against the incident, all journalists across the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will boycott coverage of police activities until the responsible officers are held accountable and journalists’ safety is guaranteed.
