Pakistani Journalist attacked in Mississauga

BY MOHSIN ABBAS

A group representing Canadian journalists has condemned an attack on a Pakistani reporter in Mississauga.

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) say journalist Jawaad Faizi was attacked in Mississauga on Tuesday night. Faizi works for the Mississauga-based newspaper, The Pakistan Post.Faizi was attacked in his car outside the home of his editor, Amir Arain.

Two men, one armed with a cricket bat, smashed the car windows and beat Faizi before they fled the scene.

Two men threatened him and said that he should stop writing against Islam, and against the Pakistan-based religious organisation, Idara Minhaj-ul-Quran and its leader, Cleric Allama Tahir-Ul-Qadri, Faizi said in an interview.

Allama Tahir-Ul-Qadri is a frequent visitor to Canada. Both Arain and Faizi say they have received telephone death threats.On Monday they filed a complaint with police.

"That this attack happened here in Canada is of great concern to us," said CJFE Executive Director Anne Game. "We call on the police to treat this matter extremely seriously and ensure that a full investigation into the attack is initiated immediately.

Faizi told CJFE he had many problems as a journalist back home in Lahore, Pakistan but was shocked at the attack in Canada.

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is an association of more than 300 journalists, editors, publishers, producers, students and others who work to promote and defend free expression and press freedom in Canada and around the world.

mabbas@thespec.com

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