New Delhi: Pakistani journalist Asad Ali Toor was attacked by assailants who broke into his home in Islamabad late Tuesday night. He was taken to a private hospital in a critical condition but has since become stable, according to a tweet shared by his contemporary Waseem Abbasi.
“They gagged me and tied me up, they were hitting their pistols on my elbows until one of them received a phone call and I got a chance to resist and scream,” Toor can be seen saying in a video shared by journalist Farid Qureshi.
What happened to Pakistani journalist @AsadAToor at his residence in the capital of Pakistan, his first statement from hospital, he says “they tied my legs and they were beating me with their pistols, one of them received a phone call and I got chance to scream” https://t.co/goq2qIN9hl pic.twitter.com/eNl9fXbbT2
— Farid Qureshi (@FaridQureshi_UK) May 25, 2021
Several people took to social media to condemn the attack.
“Asad Ali Toor hasn’t been attacked because of the lack of legislation on journalists’ protection. He has been attacked because for decades the perpetrators of attacks on journalists have enjoyed impunity and have maintained control on media houses,” said exiled human rights activist Gulali Ismail.
Asad Ali Toor hasn't been attacked because of the lack of legislation on journalists' protection. He has been attacked because for decades the perpetrators of attacks on journalists have enjoyed impunity and have maintained control on media houses. https://t.co/X4M9WZg2K8
— Gulalai Ismail ګلالۍاسماعیل (@Gulalai_Ismail) May 25, 2021
Pakistani daily Dawn quoted an unnamed police officer as saying that assailants came to Toor’s residence following which a scuffle broke out when the journalist was attacked.
Condemning the attack, the Pakistan Human Rights Commission said, “HRCP strongly condemns the brutal assault on journalist @AsadAToor by three unknown men who barged into his residence. We see it as yet another attack on freedom of expression and a free press. HRCP demands that the authorities apprehend and charge the assailants immediately.”
Toor had garnered attention last year when he was accused of defaming the military. According to an FIR filed against him by the Punjab Police, he had been “doing propaganda against Pakistan and its institutions” on the social media. “He used foul language against the institutions, including Pakistan Army, in his posts during the last few days, which is a crime,” it added.
He was absolved of all charges by the Lahore High Court in November 2020 on the ground of lack of evidence.
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Pakistan’s ‘homemade’ Covid vaccine, with a bit of help from China
In an environment of “rigorous quality control checks”, ‘PakVac’ was created with some help from China’s Cansino Bio in a bid to lessen Pakistan’s dependence on other countries for a vaccine.
“Congratulations to the NIH (National Institute of Health) Pak team and its leadership for successful fill/finish (from concentrate) of the Cansino vaccine with the help of Cansino Bio Inc. China. The product has passed the rigorous internal QA testing. An imp step to help in our vaccine supply line,” Faisal Sultan, an infectious diseases physician who is also Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, tweeted.
According to a Ministry of National Health Services official, the NIH will be able to produce 3 million doses per month. As of now, Pakistan is administering the doses it received from China to all those above the age of 30.
Karachi rallies for ‘free Palestine’
After one of the worst clashes between conflict-prone Israel and Palestine that lasted 11 days, thousands of Karachi residents took to the streets, as cries for liberating Palestine reverberated in the air. The protest was attended by actors Mahira Khan, Ayesha Omar, Sanam Jung, Sheheryar Munawar, Anoushey Ashraf, Khaled Anam, Amna Ilyas, and Hajra Yamin, among others.
The march saw people carrying placards in support of Palestine.
“I march because it is oppression and apartheid. Not ‘conflict’ and ‘skirmishes’. I march against Israel because it insists on playing the victim. I march for my grandma, because I can’t imagine losing family every day,” one such placard read.
Another placard pointed the finger at the United Nations, calling it “United Negligence, allowing oppression and genocide since 1945.”
Several protesters even came on horseback, waving the Palestinian flag.
Protesters on horseback at Jamaat-e-Islami free-Palestine rally. pic.twitter.com/pvb179OqZs
— Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) May 23, 2021
The Pakistan government said the demonstrations were “an expression” on behalf of the people and the government that they “stand by” Palestine.
“This was just an expression on behalf of the people of Pakistan and the government of Pakistan that we stand by the people of Palestine and … we strongly condemn Israeli aggression against innocent Palestinians and also the [raiding] of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” said Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was accused of anti-Semitism by a journalist during an interview with CNN when he said Israelis have “deep pockets”. The Foreign Office, however, said later the remarks “could not be construed as anti-Semitic by any stretch of the imagination”.
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Pakistan bans Mia Khalifa on TikTok
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has banned former porn star Mia Khalifa’s TikTok account.
“Shoutout to Pakistan for banning my tiktok account from the country. I’ll be re-posting all my tiktoks on Twitter from now on for my Pakistani fans who want to circumvent fascism,” Khalifa tweeted.
Shoutout to Pakistan for banning my tiktok account from the country. I’ll be re-posting all my tiktoks on Twitter from now on for my Pakistani fans who want to circumvent fascism ?
— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) May 22, 2021
However, support poured in for her on Twitter.
We love you not for your past , You left your past , we forgot it , we love you for your courage how you spoke for children & people suppressed by A terrorist state , Please Accept alot of Love & Blessings From Pakistan ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
— Ammar Naveed ?? (@itxmyaccount) May 22, 2021
Pakistani gov will not do SHIT about its own country and the problems we face but they’ll go out of their way to ban mia khalifa on tiktok… ya allah humey bachai https://t.co/2WX8o1XwRn
— r ?? (@depressed_Iibra) May 22, 2021
Pakistan has, in the past, banned TikTok twice “for spreading immoral and unethical content”, only to revoke its decision both times.
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