Journalists protest attacks on media
ISLAMABAD: Journalists here on Tuesday held a protest demonstration against attacks on the media and government’s failure to protect the mediapersons.
The protest held at National Press Club was organised by Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) against a ban on government advertisements to a regional Urdu newspaper and seizure of its office, thrashing of a TV channel staff in Peshawar and killing of a journalist in Balochistan.
Holding placards and banners, the protesters were chanting slogans against the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments.
They said the TV team was attacked and tortured by unknown miscreants in the high security zone in Peshawar which left its bureau chief and others injured.
The protesters said after coming to power the government had made tall claims of ensuring safety of journalists but so far it has failed to do so. They vowed to continue their struggle and not to bow to the democratic dictators.
Speaking on the occasion, RIUJ President Tahir Rathor said: “This brazen daytime attack in the heart of a major city shows just how vulnerable Pakistan’s journalists have become to violence. It is clear that the government is unwilling or unable to stop the attacks on journalists.”
The journalists said state terrorism should come to an end, and warned to stage countrywide protests in case of further attacks on their colleagues.
Foreign journalists also joined the protest to condemn the arrest of Samir Allawi, an Al-Jazeera correspondence, by Israeli forces in Palestine.
Source: Dawn
Date:8/24/2011
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