Journalists protest attack on Jang, Geo
BANNU/SHERGARH: Journalists of Takht Bhai and Sher Garh in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa staged demonstrations outside their respective press clubs to condemn attacks on the offices of Geo TV and daily Jang and the burning of a few newspaper bundles.
Chairman Shergarh press club, Fazl Hadi, said journalists from all over the country would raise their voice for truth. The journalists demanded that the government deal with the attackers with an iron hand so that no one would dare to create hurdles in the way of an independent media. Journalists on the occasions expressed complete solidarity with Jang group.
Meanwhile in a meeting at press club Bannu, local journalists condemned the attack on Geo and Jang offices and the burning of bundles of newspapers. Our Lahore correspondent adds: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the burning and tearing of a few copies of daily Jang and The News in some areas of Sindh and termed the incidents “highly deplorable.”
In a statement issued Sunday, the CM said the free press was essential for the stability of any democratic system and attacks on journalism should be condemned in the strongest terms. He said the PML-N stood shoulder to shoulder with the media to safeguard the freedom of the press.
In another statement, Shahbaz described the remarks of Interior Minister Rehman Malik against the Tableeghi Jamaat as irresponsible and said the federal minister should refrain from making such statements. He said Malik had shown a highly irresponsible attitude by making the statement and his explanation in this regard was not sufficient.
Our correspondents from Hala and Mehar add: Political and religious parties and organisations strongly condemned attacks on the offices and journalists of Geo and Jang. In a PML-N meeting held with Makhdoom Ata Hussain in the chair, district president and leaders Akhtar Bhanbhro, Rao Aslam, Arif Korejo, Akram Khan, Fateh Mohammad Dahiri, Shafiq Memon and Misri Khan said that Jang group is a national asset and has suffered at the hands of every regime because of its policy of pursuing the truth. They said that Jang and Geo have always vented popular opinion by boldly reporting cases of corruption and lawlessness.
Beside Hafiz Lutfullah Bhutto of Jamaat Islami, Faisal Qaimkhani of Tehrik-I-Insaf Pakistan, Dr Arbab Bilal of Sada Wasindi, senior journalists Abdul Karim Memon, Rustam Sammon, Akram Qaimkhani, Mushtaq Memon, Ishtiaq Sheikh Dard Qambrani, Asadullah Memon, Mumtaz Bilal, Abdul Wahid Umrani, Deedar Khoso, Qasim Qambarani, Islam Sheikh and others flayed the unfortunate incidents of burning the bundles of daily Jang and attack on journalists. They termed the attacks an attack on the freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, Ijaz Ahmad Khan and Abdul Qadir Jilani, members of the central executive committee of Muhajir Qaumi Movement Pakistan, have condemned in strongest terms the attacks, calling them a naked attack on freedom of the press. They urged the government to take immediate notice of the incidents and provide complete protection to print and electronic media. .
In Mehar also, journalists demonstrated against the burning of bundles of Jang newspapers and the attack on Jang and Geo offices. Newspaper hawkers also joined the protest and demanded the arrest of those who burnt newspapers and beat the hawkers. They also said journalists and hawkers should be protected against such hooliganism.
Source: The News
Date:8/1/2011
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