ISLAMABAD: Police raided the home of the Online news agency’s owner on Wednesday and arrested him after Communications Minister Murad Saeed lodged a complaint that he had “tarnished my reputation” during a TV show.

Mohsin Baig, who is also the chief editor of Daily Jinnah, had accused the prime minister of “showing favouritism” by granting an award to Mr Saeed, with whom he has “a close friendship”.

As police officials tried to arrest Mr Baig, he pulled out a pistol and fired in their direction but nobody was hit, according to a police inspector.

Pictures circulating on social media showed Mr Baig beating an officer from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Police opened a separate case against Mr Baig on a charge of attacking FIA officers and injuring one of them.

Mr Baig’s family told reporters that police had arrested him without citing any reason.

The arrest drew widespread condemnation on social media as well as from journalists. A group of journalists gathered outside the offices of the Online agency to express solidarity with him.

In the meantime, Mr Baig was remanded in police custody for three days.

The Additional Sessions Judge, Islamabad West, later ruled that the raid on Mr Baig’s house was illegal and asked the federal capital’s police chief to take action against the SHO concerned.

According to the first information report (FIR), the federal minister complained Mr Baig used “abusive language against me” during a TV talk show, G for Gharida.

An FIA team raided the house of the news agency owner at Islamabad’s F-8 sector to arrest him, but did not produce a warrant of arrest.

“Since all the officials were in plain clothes, the family mistook them for robbers and put up resistance,” according to a police official.

“Mohsin Baig even informed us that a number of gunmen are hovering around my home.”

As police did not turn up, Mr Baig and his son decided to help themselves and managed to overpower two of the FIA officials by hitting them with a pistol.

The FIA team then sought assistance from police. Help arrived around 10.30am in the shape of a police contingent, which took Mr Baig into custody and handed him over to the agency.

Police and FIA teams searched his house in an attempt to arrest Hamza, Mr Baig’s son. But they were unable to find him.

Raheel Khan, counsel for Mr Baig, filed a petition with the Additional Sessions Judge, Islamabad West, claiming that he was in illegal custody.

The court asked a bailiff to visit the police station concerned, where an official told him that Mr Baig was arrested in connection with a case registered against him at Margalla police station under the Anti-Terrorism Act and sections 324, 342, 353, 186, 148, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The SHO of Margalla police station produced Mr Baig before the additional sessions judge in the afternoon.

In videos circulating on social media, Mr Baig complained he had been subjected to “severe torture” in police custody.

Condemnation

Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N president, said Mr Baig’s arrest had shown “the state of panic” in which Prime Minister Imran Khan was at the moment. He said the arrest of Mr Baig, once a fast friend of Imran Khan, shows how panicked the regime is.

“Niazi sahib gives long sermons on democracy and morality but cannot stand even minor criticism,” Mr Sharif said, adding, “Free speech has vastly been curtailed in last three and a half years of his rule.”

He said that it is the worst time in nation’s history.

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the arrest.

“The arrest of Mr Baig has not shown Mr Khan’s strength but his weakness,” the PPP chairman said, adding, “Mr Khan is so weak that he is afraid of criticism, lest people become aware of his truth.”

He added that Mr Baig was dragged in front of his family and arrested as if he was a terrorist, whereas under PM Khan’s rule, terrorists were roaming freely.

The PPP chairman called upon the government to immediately release Mr Baig.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari condemned the arrest of Mr Baig, saying that the use of government power against dissent was a reflection of authoritarian mentality.

“Mr Khan’s problem is that he considers himself a dictator, although he is a puppet,” Mr Zardari said.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2022