Journalists threaten to file case against Imran, Qadri, Nisar | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Journalists threaten to file case against Imran, Qadri, Nisar

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Journalists on Tuesday demanded an apology from Imran Khan, Dr Tahirul Qadri and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for attacks on the offices of Geo News and Pakistan Television (PTV) and torture of journalists in the Red Zone area or they would register cases against them on these criminal acts.

The demand was made through a resolution that was passed at the conclusion of a protest jointly held here by the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) and National Press Club (NPC). It was largely attended by members of human and civil society organisations.

Addressing the participants of the protest, NPC President Shahrayar Khan said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri had been constantly inciting their workers that finally resulted in attacks on Geo News and PTV for which both of them should apologise to the workers of these organisations and the people as well.

The speakers who spoke on the occasion included NPC General Secretary Tariq Chaudhry, RIUJ President Ali Raza Alvi, RIUJ General Secretary Bilal Dar, Geo News Bureau Chief Rana Jawad, PTV MD Muhammad Mallick, cricket commentator Ehtashamul Haq, Waseem Farooq of the Punjab Union of Journalists, Farzana Bari and Naeem Mirza.

They said the workers of PTI and PAT attacked the Geo offices 25 times and its workers in the last 18 days and dozens of journalists were brutally tortured by the policemen in the Red Zone area that is really unfortunate in the country where every one talks about freedom of expression.

“The leadership of PTI and PAT and the interior minister should offer apology otherwise the journalists’ community would be left with no other option except to register cases against them. The journalists show the truth to the people so those who target and torture them are those who want to hide facts for their personal reasons,” they said.

Meanwhile, the journalists and members of the civil society organizations also attended the “Pro-democracy” camp set up in front of the National Press Club (NPC) and urged the government to immediately evolve a joint political strategy to get rid of a group of few thousand people who are making vandalism in Red Zone area and annihilating the image of Pakistan in the comity of nations.

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