=> LAHORE – A delegation of newspapers editors headed
LAHORE – A delegation of newspapers editors headed by President Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors and Editor daily The Nation Arif Nizami visited the protest camp set up by the Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) at Lahore Press Club to express solidarity with the journalists against government curbs on media.
The delegation comprised former President of CPNE Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Altaf Hassan Qureshi, Irhsad Haqani, Sajjad Bukhari, Athar Masood, and Rehmat Ali Razi. President PUJ Arif Hameed Bhatti, president Lahore Press Club Mohsin Goraya, secretary general LPC Shoaib-ud-Din, members of the LPC governing body and a large number of journalists were present. Speaking on the occasion Arif Nizami said that all editors and working journalists were united on one point – freedom of press. “This freedom was there in the past but now it is being denied. The way curbs have been put on media is deplorable. Whether it is print or electronic media the measures against the freedom of expression would be resisted,” he said.
Nizami ruled out Musharraf’s claim that he had given the freedom to the press. “It was not due to blessings of Musharraf but was the result of the struggle of journalists.”
He said that problems related to print media, electronic media or working journalists were their concerns. “We condemn the PEMRA Ordinance, and efforts to revive the ill famed Press and Publication Ordinance. We also condemn the suspension of Geo transmission and the blockage of Jang group’s advertisements,” he added.
Nizami was of the view that by stopping advertisements of newspapers the government wanted to damage the newspapers financially, so that these could be pressurised and dictated by the government.
He said the rulers often asked the owners of the newspapers to sack some journalists. “We have never done this in the past and has made it sure that it will not happen in future as well. The newspapers editors will never give in to such tactics,” Nizami explained.
He said the CPNE condemned such moves by the government and hoped that the journalists organizations too would cooperate in this regard to resist the government pressures.
Earlier LPC president, Mohsin Goraya welcomed the delegation and in his address said that late Hamid Nizami and Majid Nizami were role models as journalists, adding that he had learnt to speak and write truth from them.
Bhatti said that journalists would never bow down to the pressure of rulers. “Journalists will continue their struggle without fear. We are ready to offer all kinds of sacrifices to achieve the goal of freedom of expression,” he maintained.
Source: The Nation
Date:12/7/2007
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