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Pakistan: Journalist beaten after publishing article on torture

last updated Jun 21, 2011

A journalist of the newspaper “Guardian” has been severely beaten by several men wearing police uniforms and had to be treated in hospital. Five days before the incident, Waqar Kiani has published an article revealing abduction and torture at the hands of suspected Pakistani intelligence services. The journalist has focused on finding out about illegal detention and torture of Islamist militants by Pakistani intelligence in collaboration with MI5.

The attack seems to be directly linked to his investigative article. When he went out to buy milk, four men ordered him to get out of his car and started beating him with their fists, wooden batons and a rubber whip. Kiani has been a target of violence already for the second time. In 2008, he was abducted, beaten and burned with cigarettes during an interrogation.


Pakistan has been hit by several cruel incidents involving officials or police force. Three weeks ago, another journalist, Saleem Shahzad, was beaten to death and lately, an unarmed 22-year-old has been executed by several paramilitary soldiers who now face murder charges. In terms of journalism, Pakistan is the world’s most dangerous country with 16 journalists killed in the last 18 months. Interior minister Rehman Malik has ordered a judicial inquiry and a police inquiry.


Guardian: Guardian journalist badly beaten for the second time in Pakistan


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