• February 22, 2010
• Freedom of Expression, News Archives
• Web Desk

HYDERABAD: The office-bearers of various press clubs and Union of Journalists have resolved to continue to boycott the coverage of Sindh National Front (SNF) following an attack on Muhammad Husain Khan, a staff-correspondent of an English newspaper at Hyderabad.

In this connection a joint statement was issued by journalists including Imtiaz Faran, President and A H Khanzada, general secretary of Karachi Press Club; Mahesh Kumar, President and Hameed-ur-Rahman, general secretary, Hyderabad Press Club; Lala Asad Pathan, President Sukkur Press Club; Khursheed Abbasi, President and Hasan Abbas, general secretary, Karachi Union of Journalists; Muhammad Arif, President and Rizwan Bhatti, acting general secretary, KUJ (Dastoori); Afzal Butt, President and Aasim Rana, general secretary,†

National Islamabad Press Club; Abd-ul-Khaliq, President and Rao Iqbal general secretary, Balochistan Union of Journalists;†Rasheed Baig, President and Abd-ur-Rahman, general secretary, Quetta Press Club.

They said the journalist community believed in professional ethics and does not believe in confrontation. The statement has been issued by Secretary Hyderabad Press Club. The office-bearers of all the press clubs said following the incident on December 31, 2009 one of two accused, who had attacked the journalist with iron rods, had been identified, arrested and granted bail by the concerned court of law.

They said the complainant of the case did not name SNF chief Sardar Mumtaz Ali Khan Bhutto in the FIR as two unidentified accused and the SNF secretary general Ayub Shar were nominated because he had reason to believe that it was done on the instructions of Ayub Shar.†

However, they said, the party in question has refused responsibility and, on the contrary, described the registration of case as false. They said it was despite the fact that one of the members of the central executive committee of the SNF, Paryal Bughio, who met the injured journalist at the time of identification parade of the accused in the court, had told the journalist that there was some misunderstanding and sought copy of clarification that was published on December 26.

The journalists community leaders said: ìWe believe that the way Khan was attacked and hit in the skull with iron rod, only Allah Almighty saved and gave him new life otherwise the attackers had done their job with the result that he received stitches on his skull and two fractures on small finger of his right hand.†

The representatives said they had decided to boycott media-related activity of the SNF while exercising their democratic and moral right. They also said that they did not have any grudge against anyone but could not allow any group or party to play with the lives of the members of the journalist community.
Source: The News
Date:2/22/2010