A journalist was allegedly subjected to police violence while covering a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyers outside the Aiwan-e-Adalat in Lahore.
Police personnel allegedly assaulted Aaj News court reporter Natiq Rehan, stopped him from performing his professional duties, detained him, and placed him in a prisoner van.
The incident took place on Wednesday when Natiq Rehan was covering the PTI lawyers’ protest outside the court complex.
According to reports, police officials grabbed him, slapped and beat him with batons, took away his mobile phone, and confined him in a police van.
پنجاب پولیس کوبتایا بھی گیا یہ صحافی ہے اسکو مت مارو لیکن انہوں نے ایک نہ سنی سرعام ایک صحافی کے ساتھ مارپیٹ کر کے قیدیوں کی وین میں صحافی کو بند کر دیا یہ ایک پیغام تھا جو سب صحافیوں کو دینا تھا پیغام دینے کے بعد اس صحافی کو چھوڑ دیا اب سب صحافی انتظار کریں اگلی باری کس کی ہے؟ pic.twitter.com/HMhonCKQL7
— Hamid Mir حامد میر (@HamidMirPAK) August 5, 2026
Natiq Rehan said he was carrying out his journalistic duties when around 10 to 15 police personnel approached him and began assaulting him.
Journalists’ bodies, including the Court Journalists Association and the Press Association of the Supreme Court, strongly condemned the incident and demanded legal action against the officials responsible.
Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari also condemned the alleged assault, warning that journalists would launch a strong protest if action was not taken against those involved.
Following intervention by journalists’ organizations, Natiq Rehan was released after being held for around half an hour.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from media groups. Senior journalist and anchorperson Hamid Mir also reacted to the incident, saying that police officers were informed that Natiq Rehan was a journalist and should not be beaten, but they allegedly ignored the warning and publicly assaulted him before placing him in a prisoner van.
