KHYBER: Journalists in Khyber district continued protest demonstrations on Friday to press the authorities for the unconditional release of their arrested colleague, Khadim Afridi.

Landi Kotal Press Club members and activists of political and civil society organisations held a demonstration.

Holding placards and banners, the participants demanded investigation into the ‘unlawful and deceitful’ arrest of Khadim Afridi.

They termed the arrest of former Bara Press Club president as a coercive restriction on the freedom of press in the merged districts and demanded that the Counter-Terrorism Department tender apology for the illegal act.

CTD sleuths had picked Mr Afridi from Bara on the pretext that he was involved in the murder of a policeman in Peshawar. An FIR of the incident was lodged at Gul Bahar police station in 2013.

On the occasion, Mehrab Afridi, president Landi Kotal Press Club, said how come a person carrying Rs1 million head money roamed scot-free during all those years after the murder.

He said Khadim Afridi was unlawfully arrested for writing the truth and highlighting the corruption of various government departments.

He warned of more protest demonstrations if their colleague was not set free unconditionally.

Published in Dawn,May 21st, 2022