Pakistan: Fizza Qureshi and Gul Nayani arrested for covering protests demanding better housing facilities; CFWIJ condemns state brutality

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June 21, 2021, Karachi - Three journalists from digital media platform Soch Videos were arrested by Sindh police for covering protests organized by working-class communities outside Bilawal House. Fizza Qureshi and Gul Nayani who have been consistently reporting on the housing crisis in the city were present on site. According to Fizza, the Sindh police was deployed solely to disrupt a peaceful protest in order to silence the legitimate grievances of those affected by the capitalist policies of the state.

The protests in Karachi have been ongoing for several weeks following the state’s decision to violently evict residents of Gujjar Naalah and Orangi Naalah. Residents of these predominantly working class communities have organized to demand a reversal of the decision. The protests have been met with violence by the state, with several news organizations being barred from covering the proceedings at all. Much of the conversation, thus, is taking place on social media and digital media groups. Soch Videos, a news outlet operating through video streaming platform Youtube has consistently followed the ongoing demolitions of civilian residences.

Journalists including Gul Nayani and Fizza Qureshi were arrested alongside activists from civilian protest group Karachi Bachao Tehreek at the protests.

The state is purposely playing an antagonistic role in the situation, according to Fizza, who insists that the police are acting like the state’s militarized arm against citizens with valid grievances. The state’s stance in this situation is obvious by their insistence on shutting down any coverage of the event and by attempting to silence the journalists and activists speaking about the issue.

CFWIJ spoke to Fizza Qureshi who was there to register her protest about this. 

“The police started to act aggressively with protestors and journalists before any protest even began, making it obvious that they were there to silence the demonstrators. They started targeting members of the working class communities who are affected by the demolitions and began to arrest them. That is when journalists and other civil activists intervened to protect them and were arrested as well,” she said.

“Objectivity is a myth,” she added. “I was not there in my capacity as a journalist but even if I was I don’t think could have silently watched as the police was arresting innocent women and children [in the name of neutrality],” making clear her stance on the role journalists play to uphold democratic principles in society.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism thoroughly condemns the actions of the state. This is sheer urban violence being enacted by the state against vulnerable communities. The attempt to silence the journalists who are consistently covering the issue and pressurizing the state into providing basic amenities to its citizens is reprehensible and criminal. The Sindh government in Pakistan would do well to remember that they exist to serve the very people they are subjecting to such gross human rights violations and reconsider its current violently capitalist policies.