Geo News Reporter Murtaza Ali Shah Assaulted and Injured by JAAC Supporters During London Protest

Geo News UK correspondent Murtaza Ali Shah was assaulted and injured on Thursday while covering a protest march organised by supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in central London.

According to eyewitness accounts and reports circulating on social media, the attack was motivated by dissatisfaction with Geo News’ editorial coverage of recent developments in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Several individuals involved in the incident were reportedly the same people who had previously targeted another journalist outside the Pakistan High Commission in London about a month earlier.

JAAC, also referred to in some reports as the Joint Opposition Action Committee, is a proscribed organisation that has been banned by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government under anti-terrorism laws. The group has been linked to protests over economic and political demands in the region.

Videos of the incident have circulated widely, showing the confrontation during the march, which moved through areas including Speakers’ Corner and Marble Arch. Journalists and observers have condemned the assault, stressing that reporters must be able to cover public events without fear of violence. Calls have been made for the Metropolitan Police to investigate and take action against those responsible.

Murtaza Ali Shah, a long-serving correspondent for Geo News and The News in the United Kingdom, is known for his reporting on Pakistani diaspora affairs, politics and related developments.