On August 30, Geo News reporter Irfanullah and cameraman Ali Arsalan were assaulted and forcibly removed by personnel of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) while covering residents impacted by floods in Faisalabad in the Punjab province. The team was documenting complaints from villagers about distant relief camps and the challenges of evacuating their families and livestock.
“When they saw that people were talking to us, they started misbehaving with them and told us to leave the area immediately. Our cameraman was slapped and his camera was confiscated,” Irfanullah said in a report by Geo. He shared that the team was manhandled, they were forced out of the area, and eventually their equipment was returned.
Speaking to Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), Irfanullah recounted that along with his team, including cameraperson Arsalan and driver Bilal Ahmed, he visited one village to report on the flood’s impact. They shared live updates and interviews highlighting the locals’ concerns about government camps being far from their homes and the need for transportation to relocate with their belongings and crops. The locals were worried about their crops and wanted to take them to the camps, appealing to the government to arrange containers or trolleys to save their belongings. However, after sharing his report, Irfan received a WhatsApp message from Deputy Commissioner Captain (rtd) Nadeem Nasir, accusing him of negative reporting. Irfan ignored the message and continued his coverage, he shared.
When they reached the adjacent village, they were confronted by PERA Regional Director Zubair Gilani and around 30 others, including police. Gillani started abusing and manhandling locals, and Irfan was also physically assaulted. His camera and equipment were seized. When Arsalan started capturing the scene, Gillani snatched the camera from him and misbehaved with the locals, asking why they hadn’t been shifted to the camp yet. Gillani ordered the police to remove the media team from the area.
Irfan tried to discuss the matter with Gillani, but he was met with aggression. Gillani slapped the cameraperson and pushed the team back, ordering them to stop coverage. No formal complaint was filed due to the ongoing flood emergency.
According to Geo News, PERA had rejected the allegations of violence. Gilani said the media team had gathered around 150 people near the riverbank, creating a dangerous situation.“We do not allow media to put people’s lives in danger for viewership. We only asked the team to move people away from the riverside,” he said.
Gilani stressed that no violence took place and that the force was acting in its state duty to keep people safe. “If the team feels wronged, we apologise, but we must ensure people remain away from dangerous areas,” Gilani added.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), in a meeting held in Multan, passed a resolution demanding immediate action against Gilani and warned of nationwide protests if authorities failed to act.
The Faisalabad Union of Journalists (FUJ) Dastur, led by President Syed Zikrullah Hasani and General Secretary Shahroz Ibad, expressed solidarity with the Geo team but noted that PERA’s on-air apology had temporarily resolved the matter. FUJ President Hasani told PPF the union had approached senior officials, including Prime Minister’s advisor Rana Sanaullah, but no further steps were taken following Gilani’s televised apology.
The Faisalabad Photojournalist Association, led by President Muhammad Tahir Najafi, termed the slapping of cameraman Ali Arsalan and harassment of Irfanullah as an “attack on press freedom.” Secretary Bashir Ahmed Aya demanded accountability of the officials and safeguards for journalists working in the field.
Former Faisalabad Press Club president Muhammad Tahir also condemned the incident, calling violence against journalists unacceptable.
