TAXILA: Wah Saddar Police booked two officials of the cantonment board`s anti-encroachment squad for beating up a journalist and breaking his camera.

Shahidyeen Khan associated with a newspaper was covering the cantonment board`s anti-encroachment drive in which a wall on G.T.

Road was being demolished when two officials later identified as Akram and Mehfooz allegedly first verbally abused him and then beat him up and also broke his camera. Later Station House officer Wah Saddar police station Sanaullah Khan reached the spot and registered a case against the accused under section 506, 427 CrPc and began further investigation.

Journalists in Taxila and Wah protested the incident and called upon authorities to take stern action against the accused officials.

Shahidyeen Khan said despite a lapse of two days, the police have failed to arrest the accused.

President Taxila Press Club Mushtaq Naqvi con-demned the incident and called upon the concerned authorities to take action against the cantonment board employees. General Secretary Tehsil Union of Journalists Togeer Riaz Khan said it was high time the corrupt elements in the civic agency mend their ways.

Dr Syed Sabir Ali, General Secretary Taxila-Wah Union of Journalists, expressed concern over the incident in which a journalist was not only stopped from coverage but was also thrashed and his camera was broken. He said public complaints against the civic body were mounting with each passing day.

Sadagat Ali, President Hassanabdal Press Club, said it was sad that officials of the civic agency were subjectingjournalists totorture while performing official duties in Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan`s constituency. He said if Shahidyeen Khan is denied justice, the journalist community will be on the frontline protesting the incident.Our Correspondent