Civil society, political parties slam attack on Daily Times office
LAHORE: Political parties and civil society organisations on Thursday condemned an attack on Daily Times office in Karachi by miscreants during the strike called by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Wednesday.
The civil society organisations, including Women Concern Network, Patan Development Association, Youth Commission for Human Rights, Aghaaz Foundation, Godh Foundation, and Bullay Shah Foundation, issued a statement against the attack on the newspaper office and declared it a direct attack on freedom of expression in the country.
Aghaaz Foundation Executive Director Zafar Malik and Godh Organisation’s Nazar Ghazi said that it was a regretful act against a free media organisation. Women Concern Network’s Abida Ejaz and Patan Development Organisation’s Shafiq Khan Bahu and Rukhsan Liaqat condemned the incident, saying it was not an attack on a certain office but an assault on freedom of expression, which must not be tolerated.
On the other hand, political parties, including Awami Party and Labour Party Pakistan, also condemned the incident. Awami Party’s Shazia Khan demanded the government arrest those responsible for the armed attack on the newspaper office. Labour Party’s Farooq Tariq said that attack on any media office was a matter of poor law and order situation in the country. He urged the government to take immediate action against the assailants and provide security to the journalists.
It is pertinent to mention that on Wednesday, the Daily Times office, located in the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) area of Karachi, was targeted by some criminal elements during the strike called by JI. Some armed men opened aerial fire and entered the premises of the Daily Times press office. A bullet hit the roof of the building, while miscreants also shattered a windowpane. Fortunately, no casualty was reported.
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