Zubair Qureshi
Former Secretary General of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and member of the National Press Club, Fouzia Shahid was injured early Tuesday when armed men broke into her house in the Media Town and held her family hostage for some time.
The robbery incident according to the First Information Report (FIR) took place at around 3:00 a.m Tuesday morning when five armed men who were wearing helmets jumped over the wall of her house located in the Block A of the Media Town and forcibly entered the bedroom where she and her husband Shahid Usmani were sleeping.
According to an FIR lodged with Lohi Bher Police Station the armed men also had a cutter with them. They threatened them of dire consequences and took away her gold ornaments and mobile phone.They ordered her to accompany them upstairs where her daughter-in-law and granddaughter were sleeping while her son, who works in a private firm, was on the night shift. Fouzia Shahid in her complaint mentions that when they ordered her to go with them to the rooms upstairs she told them they were empty and on one lived there. Upon this they got furious and hit her with the butt of the gun on the forehead. They also pulled her hair and slapped in the face, she further complains in the FIR.
However despite all the torture, Fouzia kept her nerves and shouted at them who they were, what they wanted and ordered them to leave. On this, the armed men leaving her husband and her in the room locked it from outside. They went upstairs but her daughter-in-law sensing some danger had locked the door from inside. After making vain attempts to open the room they rushed out of the house and fled through the graveyard at the back of the house. Immediately after the incident, she called her son from his duty and police also reached the spot. Meanwhile Inspector General of Police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan taking strict notice of the incident has directed the police officers concerned to investigate the matter and arrest the criminals as soon as possible. He also directed the police officials to meet the affected family and probe the matter from every angle.Vice President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz who was at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today was also asked about the robbery incident at the senior journalist’s house and she expressing her concerns assured that the matter would be taken up with the Interior Minister and instructions have been given to bring the culprits to book at the earliest. President of the PFUJ Afzal Butt, President of the Islamabad Crime & Court Reporters Association (ICCRA) Muhammad Saghir Chaudhry, Secretary General Khurram Malik and journalist community of the twin cities have condemned the incident drawing the government’s attention to the rising incidents of law and order in Islamabad. They demanded of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and IGP Dr Akbar Nasir to take swift action and arrest the culprits or they would be forced to hold a protest demonstration against the police.
