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ISLAMABAD: Students of the Madressah Haqqania beat up Din News employees, broke their camera and also threw stones at their DSNG on Tuesday.
Members of the team from Din News say the madressah management was involved in electricity theft and that they were beaten by the students because they were reporting on this.
The madressah management claims the journalists were drinking water during the day and that they were initially asked to stop and beaten when they continued to drink water.
A reporter of the channel, Ali Usman, told Dawn him and five other team members were assigned to interview Hussain Nawaz’ lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, on Tuesday.
“Mr Raja could not come from Lahore so we went to the lawyer’s house, which is near the madressah,” he said.
He said one of the cameramen, Rashid Azeem, went into the madressah and poured water over his head to cool off. Some students asked him why he was drinking water and left when they were told Mr Azeem was pouring the water on his head.
“We saw that the madressah management was stealing electricity and one of the cameramen started recording,” he said, adding that some students then started beating Mr Azeem, breaking two of his teeth and taking his camera.
The team continued filming on another camera while students threw stones at the DSNG and took away cash and valuables from the team, he said.
A source in the madressah told Dawn the team were drinking water in the madressah but were allowed in as they said they wanted to offer prayers.
He said the newsmen started filming later, saying the management was stealing electricity, which the source said was not true. He said the newsmen were told to stop and leave repeatedly and that students beat them up when they started misbehaving.
A police official said both sides were called and their statements were recorded.
An FIR has been registered against the madressah management with the Margalla police.
Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2017
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On DawnNews
Comments (59) Closed
Jun 21, 2017 12:09pm
So the electricity theft is fine if you are otherwise pious and gives you all the rights to beat up the non pious ones too. Great!
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Jun 21, 2017 12:27pm
The funny part is this no one ever points out how one dares to physically assault other! Whether its about killing Over blsphemy or such incidents
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Jun 21, 2017 12:40pm
................And DIN news will get very high ranking after this incidence.
Is a cameraman free to film any thing not assigned by his senior/producer ? at his own will by using official camera?
as mentioned they went to interview Salman Akram Raja and failure to that ,ndulged doing this "NATIONAL DUTY"
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Jun 21, 2017 12:48pm
Both are wrong, TV team should respect Ramadan and Muslim sentiments and Medrassa students should stop being vice police.
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Jun 21, 2017 12:49pm
What can they know, understand and follow of religion when they don't know, understand or inclined to follow the law of land. Just like Schools and other commercial activities ordered to be removed from residential areas, all madrasahs should be banned within the city limits and NOT allowed theft of any service.
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Jun 21, 2017 01:05pm
There goes the Tolerance that is specially preached in the month of Ramadan! and that too by seminary students. I wonder what kind of human beings they will become once they 'Graduate' from seminary.
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Jun 21, 2017 01:11pm
This proves stealing electricity is lesser big offence than eating/drinking in public in Ramzan.
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Jun 21, 2017 01:32pm
If you are so determined to expose electricity theft, come and I will show houses in the middle of Islamabad who are doing that.
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Jun 21, 2017 01:33pm
Only a proper & unbiased investigation will unfold the truth.
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Jun 21, 2017 01:51pm
These religious zealots should be given exemplary punishment - first for theft, then for assault.
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Jun 21, 2017 02:15pm
This is what we have become known for 'intolerance'. Why does anyone want to impose their own writ on anyone! Btw I've been fasting since the age of 8 and kept all to date.
Please live and let live.
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Jun 21, 2017 02:16pm
Uncivilised country! and try to equate with the rest of the civilised world. Can any right-thinking individual imagine that you beat someone for the offense of drinking water?
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Jun 21, 2017 02:17pm
No one wants to pay for electricity. No wonder the circular debt will increase
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Jun 21, 2017 02:21pm
Religious thuggery knows no bound.
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Jun 21, 2017 02:30pm
Are we not reminded of Lal Masjid; wake up concerned authorities
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Jun 21, 2017 02:35pm
Hmmm. Is that the branch of same madaraah that got 30 million from IK?
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Jun 21, 2017 02:36pm
in case the PTI trolls forgot, this is the seminary that received funds fro the KPK govt. Tabdeeli agayee
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Jun 21, 2017 02:39pm
Seminaries are nurseries if violence. Shut them down.
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Jun 21, 2017 02:45pm
This incident shows the making of future suicide bombers and terrorists and
exposes the activities of Madressah. Stealing electricity is not a sin but drinking
water in day during Ramadan is sin.
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Jun 21, 2017 02:51pm
A matter of shame
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Jun 21, 2017 03:10pm
These are the same boys who are going to these "Militant Factories" that after graduation will go and look for being "Shaheeds" And in the process they will not see or care for how many people they hurt. These power stealing and myopic vision Madrassah must be replaced by proper schools and be taught skills that will help them in becoming productive members of society and earn a living to support their families instead of religion alone..........
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Jun 21, 2017 03:21pm
Am I correct to say this is a lawless state or on brink of becoming one
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Jun 21, 2017 03:41pm
Both the parties should bebe blamed for the incident. The one drinking water had to abide by the role of NOT drinking/eating in public place and the other must had called the police..
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Jun 21, 2017 03:45pm
Wonderful training given at an early stage, steal first then lie and use force to hide it.
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Jun 21, 2017 03:53pm
its not clear if assault was due to drinking or reporting on theft
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Jun 21, 2017 03:58pm
Nobody has any right to force anyone to fast. Maybe they were not well to fast. This is between the Bandha and his creator.,
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Jun 21, 2017 04:00pm
Once again, mullah types of criminal minds are taking the law in their own hands. Despite their own illegal activities they are making obviously take charges and blaming investigative media. And once again, our new enforcement police personnel are making weak, conciliatory gestures. They should at once arrest all the madrassah students and admin and seal up the madrassah till further notice.
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Jun 21, 2017 04:02pm
@Tahir Amjad As journalists, it is part of their job to report what looks like worth reporting. There is no rule in any media book of rules that prevents either cameraman or a reporter from covering a story.
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Jun 21, 2017 04:05pm
Really difficult to judge whose accusations are true. But one thing is for sure, drinking water in Ramazan is one's personal act. None has right to start beating others, just because they are not observing fast. In west we keep fasts and all colleagues around eat, this does not upset us.
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Jun 21, 2017 04:25pm
None of their bussiness even if he was drinking water!
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Jun 21, 2017 04:31pm
@Tahir Amjad Dude, are you saying journalists and cameramen should only record what the producer assigned them and turn a blind eye to a story in front of them? Seriously?
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Jun 21, 2017 04:41pm
@Tahir Amjad And that give them right to assault cameraman and accuse him of drinking water ?
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Jun 21, 2017 04:46pm
@Tahir Amjad why not???? Should they not report a crime???
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Jun 21, 2017 04:47pm
@MS you cant beat people up for not avreeing with you!
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Jun 21, 2017 04:47pm
@anees zed why dont you call wapda?
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Jun 21, 2017 04:58pm
An enquiry should be launched into the teachings of this madressah. Their behaviour seems extremist
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Jun 21, 2017 05:07pm
@Tahir Amjad It is indeed our national duty to report electricity theft. As it happens it also happened to be a source of livelihood for the journalists on site. Carry on the great work of reporting electricity thieves/criminals
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Jun 21, 2017 05:08pm
@Subha ...Woah hold your horse's don't generalise it is you who is being uncivil here by accusing over 200 million people of being uncivilised because of the actions of a few!!!
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Jun 21, 2017 05:16pm
Who has given them right to enforce fasting? The person drinking or pouring water can be a patient or someone who has to break his fast due to excessive unbearable heat or whatever. What sort of teachings these people are getting. They are supposed to be more considerate than a common man if they are considered to be students of Islam that is no doubt a religion of tolerance, understanding and peace.
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Jun 21, 2017 05:19pm
Stealing electricity! Is this what the madressah is teaching the students. Honesty and good moral behaviour are mandatory to be Muslims.
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Jun 21, 2017 05:22pm
@Adil Jadoon - My friend, they are doing that WITH the knowledge / help of WAPDA employees.
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Jun 21, 2017 05:50pm
That 'they were drinking water during the day (in Ramzan)' can be presented and accepted as an excuse for violence, says it all about the state of affairs in this society.
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Jun 21, 2017 05:56pm
@Tahir Amjad Don't understand a word of what you are saying. What is your point?.
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Jun 21, 2017 05:57pm
If a person is sick and cannot fast, he won't allowed to drink water? It is against the very spirit of Ramzan if people cannot be compassionate.
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Jun 21, 2017 06:00pm
These seminaries need to be closed....
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Jun 21, 2017 06:00pm
Moral of the story.....violent education
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Jun 21, 2017 06:07pm
I am surprised that the government is still allowing madrassahs to operate in this day and age. These madrassahs are no centers of piety, rather places where young minds are brainwashed against enlightenment and progress. The people running these madrassahs are in it for money and power just like politicians in Pakistan
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Jun 21, 2017 07:17pm
@Tahir Amjad what is wrong with exposing somebody stealing electricity. We all end up paying the bills for who steal. Whatever the case may assaulting somebody is condemnable whatsoever the reason.
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Jun 21, 2017 07:18pm
There are proper channels of following and implementing the rules of land as well as the Islamic laws.
Madrassa students are not self-proclaimed policemen and a television crew is not a representative of JIT.
If everyone learns to remain within their acceptable norms and obey the law of the land and don't believe they are above the law, nothing of this sort would ever happen.
Frankly, everyone in Pakistan tries to find ways and means to be considered above the law and thence considers himself/herself a VIP.
Once tolerance is developed towards our fellow countrymen, proper rule of law is followed, and parents raise kids who are not unruly bullies but respect others, only then we will start progressing well at each and every level as a society and a nation.
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Jun 21, 2017 07:22pm
Pakistanis should think over the fact that in the West, a single proven incidence of assault can lead one behind bars for six months. Now if a similar law is applied in Pakistan, most neighbourhoods will be empty since most of our neighbourhood dudes would be helping swelling up the prisons!
Learn to respect others, follow the rules and follow proper protocol. Our 'I-know-it-all and I-am-above-the-law and I-am-right attitude needs to go down the drain.
When politicians, parents, folks in different walks of life and in fact everyone is sending out vibes of intolerance towards everybody other than their own close associates, how are we supposed to bring about social and national harmony?
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Jun 21, 2017 07:27pm
@Tahir Amjad - Yes, news is to be reported. A journalist - cameraman or otherwise - is free to report a crime or any other news worthy event/activity. Whether that report is aired or not is the prerogative of the news channel. The freedom to report facts is the rule of a free and civilized society. You do not need permission or pre-approval to report on theft. Taking the law into one's own hands is not allowed - but exposing truth is definitely allowed and expected.
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Jun 21, 2017 07:34pm
@Shahan .... These without money and power want any powers they can exercise over others - in order to feel better about themselves.
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Jun 21, 2017 08:06pm
What ever is being taught here is certainly not Islam. If no tolerance than not islam
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Jun 21, 2017 09:30pm
It is all about having the delusion that only I am right; only my ways are right and everybody must behave my ways.
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Jun 21, 2017 09:38pm
@Shahan
Why should one enter the others premises to do acts not liked by them?
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Jun 22, 2017 01:33am
@Comon sense Most of the universities experience voilance acts in al most every semester, so they shouldd also be closed?
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Jun 22, 2017 05:18am
this cancer of extremism needs to be stop some way.
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Jun 22, 2017 04:08pm
Reflects the kind of teachings these violent students are getting at the seminary
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Jun 23, 2017 02:09am
@MS no sir. I have no right to force myself faith on you and vice versa. If I am fasting it doesn't mean that others must refrain from eating or drinking. My fast is my fast.
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