• May 13, 2014
• Freedom of Expression
• Web Desk

LAHORE: The protest against conspiracies aimed at closure of Jang and Geo continued here on Monday.

Speakers, addressing the gathering of journalists, political activists and civil society members, said that 24 days have passed since the attack on Hamid Mir and the start of dictatorial measures to close down Jang and Geo. They pledged that they would not allow anyone to impose any curbs on the freedom of expression.

They said the conspirators must be aware of the fact that the writers and journalists were united to foil all nefarious designs. The speakers said attempts were also made in the past to suppress the independent media, but journalists always foiled all such conspiracies and they are waging their struggle even today.

Senior journalist Khawar Naeem Hashmi said that a General Niazi had divided Pakistan into two parts in the 1970s by surrendering his arms, and today again a politician Imran Khan Niazi was playing the same role by suppressing the voice of Jang and Geo.

Senior journalist Baidar Bakhat said that the voice of Jang and Geo could never be muted and such attempts have failed in the past as well.He said Jang and Geo had played a crucial role in the restoration of an independent judiciary in the country and it would maintain its role in the face of any attacks on democracy and judiciary.

Known journalist Wasif Nagi said that Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman was a patriotic Pakistani who launched this media organisation before the Partition and played an important role in the Pakistan Movement.

Shaheen Qureshi said the conspiracies for closure of Jang and Geo were aimed at causing an irreparable loss to Pakistan. He said the patriotic Pakistanis know it very well who are hatching such conspiracies and they also know the black sheep in the garb of journalists, who are playing into the hands of dictators.

PUFJ President Rana Azeem said journalists were united and their representative body would always support the Jang and Geo.PUFJ Senior Vice-President Ejaz Mirza paid tributes to Hamid Mir, saying he exposed the role of intelligence agencies and opened the media by receiving bullets in his body, which made it clear who were the real journalists and who were the so-called media persons.

Nisar Safdar Advocate assured Jang and Geo of full support of the legal fraternity, as they had fully supported lawyers’ movement.

Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab Secretary Information Farooq Chohan said the agencies were working on the US agenda and wanted to impose Bangladesh Model on Pakistan, but the people would foil the plan.

Senior journalists, Jang Workers Union Secretary General Wasim Babar and a large umber of other media persons attended the protest.Senior journalists Maqsood Butt, Riaz Shakir, Khizar Hayat Gondal and others were continuously chanting slogans in favour of Jang and Geo to express their complete support to media freedom.

The News