New Delhi (NVI): A senior journalist, Bilal Farooqi, associated with the Express Tribune, was allegedly arrested by the Defence police on Friday evening from his home in Karachi.
Farooqi works as a news editor at the newspaper and lived in Karachi’s DHA neighbourhood.
Karachi police chief, Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon confirmed that “Bilal Farooqui of Express Tribune” had been “arrested by the station investigation officer (SIO) of Defence police”, according to Dawn.
A complaint was filed by Javed Khan, a resident of Majeed Colony in Landhi area. He said he found “highly objectionable material” shared by Farooqi on social media platforms, according to media reports.
The complainant claimed that “highly provocative posts” had been shared by Farooqi against the Pakistan Army and that the same also contained material pertaining to religious hatred.
Khan alleged that Farooqi had “defamed” the Pakistan Army and such social media posts may be used by hostile elements for their “nefarious designs”. Therefore, legal action should be taken against him, Javed said.
In a tweet, journalist Ebad Ahmed said Farooqi was taken into custody from his home by “two men in plainclothes accompanied by two policemen”.
Two men in plainclothes accompanied by two policemen have taken @bilalfqi into custody from his home.
— Ebad Ahmed (@ebadahmed) September 11, 2020
In addition to this, in a statement released by the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) condemned the high-handedness of the law enforcement and added that it was an attempt to curb ‘free and independent voices’.
The statement read, “Bilal Farooqi, an active journalist who also remained executive committee of the KUJ, has been an educated and responsible youth, who never indulged in any kind of violation of Pakistani laws.”
-CHK
