Protest over governor’s utterances against press
FAISALABAD- A procession was taken out to protest over Punjab governor’s utterances against national press and police torture of newsmen.
The prcessionists were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the governor. They were also chanting slogans like shame shame governor shame; go Maqbool go, no Maqbool no; go killers of democracy go; lathi goli ki sarkar nahin chalay gi and Jaah hukmran thah.
Delegations of the press clubs of Tandlianwala, Jaranwala, Samundari, Satiana and other towns of the district participated in the procession, which started from the Faisalabad Press Club.
Hundreds of representatives of various Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), trade bodies, political parties, lawyers forums and people belonging to all walks of life also took part in the protest.
They marched on various city roads and held a protest meeting at the Clock Tower intersection. Jawed Siddiqui, Arbab Khawar, Ahmad Kamal Nizami, Mian Rifaat Qadir, Khalid Abbas Saif, Shamsul Islam Naz and others spoke at the meeting.
They said that Gen Musharraf and Governor Khalid Maqbool had, by accusing the newsmen of misreporting and undermining the ‘unprecedented’ response of the public in the general’s meetings, actually aired a message that they did not believe in reality and trying to complete their agenda for perpetrating their unconstitutional rule at gunpoint. They said that the rulers were attempting to conceal truth from the people by bluntly using all government resources.
They announced that they would continue protest till the removal of Punjab governor and formal apology by Pervez Musharraf.
Earlier, the journalists also observed three hours pen-down strike. The editors of all the local newspapers also held a protest meeting in the offices of local daily Ghareeb and assured full support to the journalists. They said that the remarks of the governor were negate the government’s claims of freedom of expression.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/16/2002
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