Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Wednesday condemned the attack on journalist Asad Ali Toor, by unidentified men.
As per the official account of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, SSP Islamabad has been directed to probe the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Federal Minister for I&B @fawadchaudhry condemns the assault on journalist @AsadAToor. SSP Islamabad has been directed to probe the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
— Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) May 25, 2021
Condemn attack on journalist Asad Toor. Perpetrators are on the CCTV cameras and Info Min @fawadchaudhry has already been in touch with the police to take necessary action.
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) May 26, 2021
As per Asad Ali Toor’s video statement, three unidentified men broke into his apartment and tortured him. The three assailants can be seen leaving Toor’s apartment in the CCTV footage, reported BBC Urdu. Journalist Shahbaz Zahid also posted the CCTV footage on Twitter.
Culprits coming out of @AsadAToor home after beating him brutally pic.twitter.com/4xyIDjkg0J
— Shahbaz Zahid (@shahbazzahid) May 25, 2021
Asad Toor telling what happened with him while he was attacked by unknown people at his apartment @AsadAToor pic.twitter.com/5oawGU5qdU
— Adnan Hussain (@AdnanhussainAD) May 25, 2021
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also called for a full and transparent inquiry of the incident.
The attack on @AsadAToor in Islamabad is highly condemnable. His voice will only grow stronger & louder. The regimes cowardliness on full display when journalists and freedom of the press are under attack . We demand a full & transparent enquiry to expose the truth.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) May 26, 2021
Amnesty International has also urged authorities to take urgent steps for the safety of media workers in Pakistan.
We reiterate our call to authorities to take urgent steps to provide journalists with greater protection, following years of spiralling threats, intimidation and attacks against media workers in Pakistan. #JournalismIsNotACrime
— Amnesty International South Asia (@amnestysasia) May 26, 2021
Journalists from around the country have condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Toor.
This is extremely disturbing and highly condemnable. All journalists and freedom of expression defenders should condemn it. https://t.co/JtbMmV9LYX
— Zaffar Abbas (@abbasz55) May 25, 2021
His home violated. Gagged and tied up. Beaten. Asked about his ‘source of funds’. The violence is a message. Knowing Asad, he will hold his head up higher after this. https://t.co/3wad5BTI57
— Amber Rahim Shamsi (@AmberRShamsi) May 25, 2021
This is the picture of Pakistan's 'free media'. pic.twitter.com/V6fiXS54cb
— Roohan Ahmed (@Roohan2Ahmed) May 26, 2021
In the last 48 hours there had been series of violent incidents against journalists and attack on Asad Ali Toor most serious of them all. No wonder why Islamabad has become the most dangerous city for journalists. These incidents should not go un-noticed.
— Mazhar Abbas (@MazharAbbasGEO) May 25, 2021
Asad Toor’s wound speaks of the lawlessness in federal capital and helplessness of its police. People are not safe even within the walls of their houses. So much for the safe city cameras and journalists safety bills. pic.twitter.com/6SpT31eSD4
— Matiullah Jan (@Matiullahjan919) May 26, 2021
The federal cabinet in April approved the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill. Last year, journalist Matiullah Jan was abducted in Islamabad but was released after 12 hours while last month, senior journalist Absar Alam survived an assassination attempt in Islamabad. The Freedom Network’s annual state of press freedom report released in April 2021 highlighted a dramatic escalation in the climate of intimidation and harassment of journalists and the media in Pakistan.