Journalists continue protest against Press Club attack
Peshawar, July 02 2006: Journalists continued protest here on the third consecutive day against the Thursday attack of the ruling league activists on Peshawar Press Club and the police objective role in applying delaying tactics to register the case under the anti terrorism law. The enraged journalists blocked the Shershah Sori road for all kind of traffic for more than three hours near Peshawar Press Club. They set on fire tyres to express their anguish and blocked the road by erecting obstacles. The journalists chanted slogans against the PML provincial president Amir Maqam, MPA Nigar Orkazai and police high-ups fovouring the armed workers of the ruling party.
The protest was led by the president of PPC Syed Bukhar Shah and other senior journalists. They demanded of the provincial government and NWFP police to register case against the attackers under anti terrorism law. A wave of anguish was flourished in journalists when police register case against the attackers under anti terrorism law. A wave of anguish was flourished in journalists when police excluded the attackers from 7 ATA law. The journalist’s leaders vowed to continue their protest until FIR was registered under terrorist act which the police was reluctant to do because the military back political leader have build up pressure on Police.
They said the attack had revealed real face of the ruling party, which was boasting for freedom of press in the country. They resolved that such kind of cheap tactics could not force journalist’s community to stop their mission of highlighting the misdeeds of those who were creating law and order situation. They alleged that government has completely failed in providing protection to the journalists’ community.
They accused that ruling league provincial president was harassing the journalists and demanded of the government to give exemplary punishment to the culprits. Later on, a joint meeting of the office bearers of the Peshawar Press Club and Khyber Union of Journalists (KUJ) was held at PPC and established different committees to launch protest drive and contest the case in court. Dozens of political parties leaders, human right activitists, traders, various NGOs office-bearer, newspapers agents and lawyers also condemned the attack on PPC and had termed a blow on the freedom of media.
Source: The Nation
Date:7/2/2006
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