CPNE slams violence against journalists
KARACHI (April 15 2007): An emergency meeting of the Council of the Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) Karachi members convened by Secretary General Wamiq A. Zuberi and presided over by Senior Vice President Dr Jabbar Khattak on Saturday strongly condemned the acts of violence and physical assault on journalists including cameramen.
While covering the protest rallies of the lawyers community in Karachi yesterday. The meeting said that it was even more deplorable that an MNA of Pakistan Peoples Party in the “Graduate Assembly” assaulted a journalist while he was interviewing the leader of the PPPP group in the National Assembly Makhdoom Amin Fahim.
Describing the assault on the journalist by the PPP MNA, the CPNE meeting strongly condemned the provocation and maintained that it also reveals the mindset of these members of the “Graduate Assembly”. The meeting declared that any attack on the media personnel while they are performing their professional duties is unacceptable and must be condemned by all segments of society in the country.
The meeting declared its complete solidarity with the affected journalists and called upon the legal community and other bodies representing different section of the civil society in Pakistan to facilitate the media representatives in the coverage of all events that have a direct bearing on the struggle for rule of law and independence of the judiciary in the country.
The meeting declared that an independent judiciary was considered the most important element of good governance and democratic practice in Pakistan. Therefore, the CPNE editors had sought to ensure that reporting of all events related with this struggle is extensive and unhindered.
However, the acts of violence against the media in Karachi and in Islamabad were unacceptable and also most deplorable. The meeting called upon all parties involved to exercise restraint and tolerance and curb all acts that infringe on freedom of the press which in turn is necessary for strengthening the rule of law and democratic practice in Pakistan.
The CPNE Karachi Editors meeting cautioned the Lawyers Community against all forms of intolerance in the present stage of their struggle for the independence of the Judiciary, an objective which was as much dear in the hearts of the newspaper editors and journalistic community in Pakistan as the Lawyers. It was important that all segments of society cooperate with one another in the task of upholding independence of the Judiciary as also the unhindered working of the fourth pillar of state.
Members present deliberated on the current situation in the country specially in the backdrop of the current struggle for the supremacy of the judiciary. Describing the current struggle for the independence of the Judiciary as crucial the meeting urged upon the lawyers community as also the Government not to hinder the media in performing honestly, objectively and sincerely its destined role of informing the public and helping in the formulation of public opinion that contributes to the strength of state institutions including the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature.
The meeting in its very strongly worded resolution warned such elements who sought to subject the media to acts of violence and pressure, that it would be totally counterproductive to the struggle for rule of law and enjoyment of fundamental rights in Pakistan.
Those who attended and participated in the meeting were Dr Jabbar Khattak (Sr. Vice President) Daily Awami Awaz, Javed Meher Shamsi, (Vice President Sindh) Daily Kaleem, Wamiq Zuberi (Secretary General) Daily Business Recorder, Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi (Finance Secretary) Monthly Naye Uffaq, Anwer Farooqi (Daily Aghaz), Najmuddin Shaikh (Daily Deyanat), Kazi Asad Abid (Fortnightly Ibrat Magazine), Muhammad Aslam Kazi (Daily Kawish), Aamir Mehmood (Monthly Kiran Digest), Inqillab Matri (Daily Millat), Naseer Hashmi (Daily Ummat), Younus Riaz (Daily Beopar), Muhammad Yousuf Qureshi (Weekly Roshan Pakistan), Mr Ashraf Qureshi (Daily Hurmat), Mahmood-ul-Aziz (UPP), Ghulam Nabi Chandio (Daily Pak), Saeed Khawar (Daily Nawa-e-Waqt), Tahir Najmi (Daily Express), Faisal Zahid Malik (Daily Pakistan Observer) and Mukhtar Aqil (Daily Jurrat)
Source: Business Recorder
Date:4/15/2007
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