ISLAMABAD: Security Forces have barred journalists from coverage of Lal Mosque Operation on Tuesday after 'operation silence' was launched.
Reports said that as soon as the operation started Security Forces took control of Polyclinic, CDA and PIMS Hospital and asked the journalists including patients and their attendants who were already there to leave the hospital.
At this both the patients and Journalists protested against this act of security force. When journalists asked them to show the government circular in this regard they adopted rude attitude and threatened to shoot them dead if they tried to enter in the Hospital premises.
The personnel of the Security Forces also warned the doctors not to share any kind of information leading to injured persons or dead bodies which took place during the operation with Journalists. Furthermore, their mobile phones have also been powered off.
It is further said that they have also harassed the senior report of Online News Agency Abid Rahi. The journalists present there have strongly protested over the incident.
When contacted with Director General Inter Services Public Relations Major General Waheed Arshid told that government has issued no such directives to shoot dead journalists. Whenever, the operation is over, the facts would be made to the public.
Federal Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao also took side of the Security Forces by saying that the step has been taken on the request of doctors who feel very disturbed amid operation in the presence of large number of journalists. But Journalists have also denied this stance of Interior Minister.
Meanwhile, government has put the medical staff including paramedical staff on high alert by declaring emergency in all the Rawalpindi Hospital.
Medical and surgical wards in all the hospital including Holy Family, District Hospital and Rawalpindi General Hospital have been evacuated.
All the patients accept serious have been discharge while they have been shifted in the alternate wards.
A student of Lal Mosque named Ishfaq who suffered serious head injuries has also been admitted in the District Hospital Rawalpindi.
However, the exact number of the injured can't be known yet.
