Anusha Rehman allegedly snatches journalist's phone inside SC

ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman on Wednesday allegedly snatched mobile phone from a journalist inside the Supreme Court, prompting a protest by newsmen outside the court premises.

Anusha Rehman seized cell phone from a journalist, Azam Gill, who was reportedly filming her along with Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique inside the apex court.

"Why did you film me?" she first questioned the journalist, upon witnessing him making footage of her. Anusha grabbed Azam Gill from his jacket and snatched his phone.

The female minister not only seized the phone, but also allegedly threatened the scribe with dire consequences, including getting him jailed.

"I am calling the FIA; I am the IT minister and will have you imprisoned for 14 years under the cybercrime law," Gill quoted her as telling him.

She asked the newsman to immediately delete her footage from his phone.

The entire episode took place in front of Court Room No. 2, while the Panama case hearing was underway. At this, the journalists boycotted press talk by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders outside the Supreme Court.

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tried to pacify protesting journos, but their efforts went in vain.

The protesting media men demanded the IT minister to apologise the Azam Gill and pledged to continue their boycott until then.

The minister, however, denied having snatched the journo's phone.

"I didn't snatch anyone's mobile phone. The man inside the court was secretly filming, which is unethical," she said, while speaking to media afterwards.

"He also apologised me for this," Anusha Rehman claimed, adding that no one can be allowed to secretly make videos of others.