Fayaz Zafar, a senior journalist was arrested and tortured before being released by Pakistan backed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police. He was booked under Section 3 of the MPO provisions.
As per police, he was released on the request of the District Bar Association and the notable tribal leaders of Babozai tribes. Fayaz Zafar, resident of Shaidu Sharif, district Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was arrested by the Swat Police Department. Fayaz was arrested under the colonial Maintenance of Public Order law. Later, he was transferred from the DC office to Swat Jail. Pakistan detained him on charges of inciting anti-state sentiments.
Physically challenged, Fayaz Zafar was brutally tortured in the Deputy Commissioner’s office before being sent to jail on Wednesday. Fayaz has stated that he is being punished for speaking the truth. He has been vocal against the persecution of people by Pakistan.
Pakistan is employing preventive measures like the Maintenance of Public Order Act 1960 to ruthlessly suppress dissent. Following the PTM rally in Islamabad, the Pakistan Army and its subordinate law enforcement machinery have been actively profiling dissenting voices and utilizing every possible method to quell them.
The arrest of Fayaz Zafar underscores Pakistan’s nervousness and lack of confidence in the people. Additionally, it also raises concern regarding the freedom and security of media in Pakistan. Journalists in Pakistan are under a constant threat from the radicalised elements along with state-sponsored killings. Recently, a journalist named Jan Muhammad Maar was fatally shot to death outside his office in Sindh. The crimes against journalists are on the rise and their brutal treatment by the state machinery is probably the guiding factor for such crimes across Pakistan.