Fact-check: Punjab police have not announced crackdown on freelance journalists
Lahore Press Club has also not received any such information from the police
Updated Wednesday Nov 06 2024
Online users appear to believe that the police in Punjab have announced a crackdown on journalists and reporters who are not registered with a press club or a media organisation.
The claim is false.
Claim
On October 24, a user on Facebook shared a graphic with a picture of Punjab’s Inspector General Police Dr Usman Anwar, with the Urdu-language text: “Long live Punjab police. Crack down on fake journalists.”
The graphic was posted alongside the caption that from now on the Punjab police will be checking the press cards of journalists routinely. If a reporter or journalist is found to not be registered with a television channel, newspaper or a press club, then a police complaint will be launched against him or her under the Penal Code.
Identical claims circulated in WhatsApp groups as well.
Fact
Police officials in Punjab and the Lahore Press Club confirm that no such public announcement has been made.
Waqas Nazir, the deputy inspector general of Punjab police, told Geo Fact Check over the phone: “We have not issued any such advice.” Mubashir Hussain, the director of public relations at Punjab police, confirmed to Geo Fact Check via message, also terming the online posts as “fake” news.
On October 28, the Punjab police also issued a rebuttal on its official X, formerly known as Twitter, account. “No such instruction has been issued by the police,” it noted.
Additionally, Zahid Abid, the secretary at the Lahore Press Club, also confirmed to Geo Fact Check over the phone that they have not received any such official information.
“We do not believe there is any such policy in place either,” Abid added.
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