Muhammad Afzal Mughal, vice president of the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ), Muhammad Afzal Mughal was picked up from his house and detained almost fifteen hours, in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southern Balochistan province. Balochistan is the most dangerous province in Pakistan for journalists, because of militancy by Baloch nationalist insurgents and Taliban factions, and the counter insurgency operations by the law enforcement agencies. Mughal is associated with Urdu language daily newspaper “Mashriq” and Online news agency

On November 10, eight armed men, believed to be from some law enforcement agency, knocked his door at about 2:30 AM and asked him for his identity. They told him to get his mobile phone, blindfolded him and took him with them for interrogation. They took him to their office and told him to sleep till morning.

In the morning they interrogated him about his about his house, identity and associates. They asked him questions about telephone calls he had allegedly received from militants, and took his finger prints.

Later, they told him of their misunderstanding and that they had got all information about him. They returned his mobile phone and dropped him near his house.

Mughal’s wife registered a First Information Report (FIR) of kidnapping in Saddar police station.

The BUJ staged a protest demonstration against the incident at the Quetta Press Club premises. The protesters raised slogans and demanded the security of journalists and media persons in the province.

Pakistan Press Foundation