Lahore: Chief reporter of The Express Tribune, Rana Tanveer on Friday got hit by an unidentified vehicle as he wrote extensively on the plight of the country’s religious minorities. He was warned of the consequences and his house was also vandalised after he wrote for the Ahmadi community in Pakistan.
Tanveer had to go through a surgery for the fracture in his pelvic bone on Saturday. His recovery may take months and he has expressed fears for his safety as well as that of his family, reported HT.
He was threatened with the graffiti in his damaged house when he and his family who were away returned home Last week. Three months ago, even his landlord started receiving calls advising him to evict Tanveer. He had moved to his current home one and a half years ago so that his daughter could attend a local school.
Rana went to the police to report the threat but his complaint was not formally registered. On Friday, coming back from a meeting of the Punjab Union of Journalists, Tanveer was riding his motorcycle when a car hit him from the back.
He said that he became a target for the anti-social elements since he started work on exposing the poor treatment given to the country’s religious minorities like the Ahmadis and the Christians.
Talking to the media on Sunday, he said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said some months back that the rights of religious minorities would be secured under his administration in a speech to members of the Hindu community. Rana Tanveer says that his case is a perfect opportunity for the prime minister to demonstrate his government’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of both journalists and religious minorities by taking immediate action.