Journalists stage sit-in for press freedom
ISLAMABAD: Journalists on Saturday continued protest against the curbs on media and demanded freedom of press, as access to information is one of the fundamental rights.
Journalists arranged a sit-in in front of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club on a call of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ). Civil society activists, lawyers and students joined the protest to express solidarity with journalists.
They said it was regrettable that the government officials misbehaved with the journalists who went to cover the bomb blasts that took place in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
They said the government had taken no step to restore press freedom. They said the PCO had allowed the government officials to be above accountability. They said people were put at the mercy of administration and they had no trust in the judiciary working under the PCO.
They said the government had allowed transmission of some private TV channels but they were stopped from working in accordance with their policies to provide information to people.
They said the government was busy restricting print media instead of removing ban from electronic media. The journalists said the government should honour its promises.
They said they would continue their struggle for freedom of press. They urged the government to restore the constitution, deposed judges and fundamental rights.
They said they would not follow the ordinances being promulgated to restrict media and that they had committed no crime highlighting the negligence on part of the government.
They said media had played its part for country’s development but the government was treating journalists as traitors. They called upon people to press the government to end the rule of emergency and restore their fundamental rights.
RIUJ President Afzal Butt said the journalists would speed up their campaign against the government and opinion leaders would also join their sit-in in the days to come.
The protestors shouted anti-government slogans and dispersed peacefully.
Source: Daily Times
Date:11/25/2007
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