International group asks Pakistan to release journalist

Journalists chant slogans during a rally protest which they say is against layoffs and the non-payment of salaries, in Karachi, Pakistan February 26, 2019. (REUTERS)

• Reporter was arrested for his coverage of this week's violent clash
• Gohar Wazir is working for the private channel

ISLAMABAD: An international organization that advocates for the rights of journalists has urged Pakistan to immediately release a reporter who was arrested for his coverage of this week’s violent clash between minority Pashtuns and troops in a northwestern region near the Afghan border.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based group, in Tuesday’s statement says Gohar Wazir, a reporter working for the private TV station Khyber News, was detained in the town of Bannu after reporting on the demonstration of the Pashtun Protection Movement, a group campaigning against the perceived high-handedness by security forces.
The arrest came days after the group led by two lawmakers clashed with troops at an army post in the North Waziristan district, setting off a shootout that wounded five troops and killed three activists.