Journalists protest raid on press club | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Journalists protest raid on press club

LAHORE- Local journalists took out a procession to protest against a police raid on the Lahore Press Club on July 10.

The procession started from the Lahore Press Club. It passed through the Empress Road and terminated at the Governor’s House where office-bearers of the Punjab Union of Journalists and the Lahore Press Club handed over a memorandum to the Punjab public relations director-general. They were carrying placards inscribed with slogans condemning the police raid on the Lahore Press Club. They were chanting slogans against the police and the provincial government.

Punjab Union of journalist president Bakhtgir Chaudhry and Lahore Press Club president Badr Munir Chaudhry addressed the participants at the gate of the Governor’s House. They said the journalists were united on the press freedom and it would not hesitate from offering any sacrifices to pursue this objective. They said the present rulers claimed to be guardians of press freedom but their actions belied this claim. They said that the journalist community of Lahore would give a call for a country-wide protest movement if no action was taken against responsible for the attack. They announced that journalists would hold a sitting protest in front of the Lahore-Press Club.

A spokesman for the Punjab government said on that the government was ready for negotiations and its doors were open to listen to the point of view of those who felt agitated. The government is ready to help resolve the grievances as far as possible.

Source: Dawn
Date:7/22/2000