Oslo (Bureau Report)
The prominent Norwegian Pakistani Journalist Mr Kadafi Zaman who had remained in police detention for four days from 13th July to 16th July 2018, has returned back to Norway Thursday’s evening.
An article published on Norway’s TV-2 website reported, Kadafi says, “I will never forget Friday, July 13, 2018, the worst day so far in my life”.
He was arrested on 13th July at the time when thousands of workers of Muslims League Nawaz group from Gujrat district wanted to travel to Lahore in order to support their leader Nawaz Sharif, the ousted Prime Minister of Pakistan.
By having tough behaviour, the police stopped the political workers in Gujrat and other cities. Kadafi was also held and hit by police’s wooden sticks on back of his body while performaning his professional duty during Gujrat’s procession. He told police that he is a journalist and covering the event but police did not accept his claim.
He revealed that this was happened with him for the first time in Pakistan as he had already covered many events in Pakistan since 2001. These events were including the war on terror, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the earthquake in Kashmir, floods, many murder cases and as well as previous elections.
He also complained about dirty place and lack of healthy food and clean water in the police station. Kadafi added, his two mobile phones belonging to Tv-2 were also stolen during the police custody.
Pakistani media circles expressed grave concerns on the native behavior of Pakistan’s Punjab police behavior the Norwegian Pakistan journalist.
Senior Pakistani journalist Syed Sibtain Shah who is familiar with Norwegian environment said, the urban police in Pakistan usually respects the media people but it is a shocking incident that a journalist from Norway was held for four days in the country.
He expressed serious concerns on the police behavior with Kadafi including wounds made by police over his body and said, it created a negative impression of Pakistan.
Syed Sibtain Shah also made a telephonic call to Mr Kadafi Zaman in Norway and expressed sympathy with him. He said, Kadafi is a brave journalist and has full courage along with professional spirit.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Drammen city of Norway Syed Yousaf Gilani who has close association with Kadafi Zaman for a long time, also regretted over the incident and said, government of Pakistan should take serious actions against the police personnel involved in the severe misconduct with the journalist.
