Lawyers, journalists one against army rule
MIANWALI, Nov 21: Members of the District Bar Association continued their strike for the 17th consecutive day to protest the imposition of emergency and proclamation of the Provisional Constitution Order.
They held a protest meeting in the bar room which was chaired by DBA President Malik Rafique and addressed by various lawyers. The DBA decided to continue strike, saying thousands of their companions were still incarcerated in different jails throughout the country.
Recently released from Dera Ghazi Khan jail, Lateefullah Khan Azad and Ijaz Gauhar expressed their determination and commitment to the cause of legal fraternity for the establishment of rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution and independence of the judiciary.
Two DBA members, Manzoor Ahmed Khan and Rashid Khan Niazi, have been released from Sahiwal jail while Aslam Khan Shehbaz was still detained there.
Earlier, Isakhel Tehsil Bar Association office-bearers Aslam Khan Niazi, Zafarullah Khan, Raees Khan Niazi and Inayatullah Khan were released from Sahiwal jail while Piplan TBA member Shamsher Joyia was released from Rajanpur jail.
Similarly, journalists held a demonstration in front of the District Press Club to protest curbs imposed on the electronic and print media, closing down of two private TV channels and torture of media personnel in various cities, particularly in Karachi on Tuesday.
Several journalists gathered in front of the DPC and chanted slogans against the government.
DPC President Anwar Husain Haqi said if the curbs remained intact, they would tarnish the government’s image worldwide. He said the world had changed into a global village and no one could now suppress the flow of information.
VEHARI: Besides boycotting court proceedings, members of Vehari DBA and Mailsi and Burewala TBAs held a meeting on Wednesday to protest the police assault on journalists in Karachi.
The lawyers did not appear in local courts in protest against the imposition of emergency.
DBA president Rana Sajid, secretary-general Khizar Hayat Tarrar and other office-bearers condemned the police action on journalist in Karachi and described it as “worst example of state terrorism”. They said the government had failed to suppress the voice of dissent as well as truth despite all its hegemony.
Meanwhile, a protest meeting of DPC was held here under the chairmanship of its president Rao Shahdat Ali.
BAHAWALPUR: Journalists held a protest meeting at the press club and through a resolution passed unanimously condemned the police assault on their fellows in Karachi and Hyderabad. They demanded that an action be taken against the officials responsible at the earliest.
SHEIKHUPURA: Journalists condemned the curbs imposed on the media and set up a hunger-strike camp.
They observed token hunger strike from 10am to 5pm on the premises of DPC. Prominent among them were president Hamid Bhatti, secretary-general Safdar Shaheen and other office-bearers, including Rana Sarwar, Rana Akram Sultan, Hamid Rabi and Farooq Malik.
TOBA TEK SINGH: Lawyers belonging to the DBA and Gojra and Kamalia TBAs observed strike to protest the imposition of emergency and banning private TV news channels. Lawyers wore black armbands while black flags were also hoisted on bar rooms.
Meanwhile, journalists also continued their protest and condemned police action on their fellows in Karachi. Wearing black armbands, they held a meeting at the DPC with president Mian Manzoor Naz in the chair.
They passed a resolution condemning the government for its actions against the print and electronic media. Similar protests were also held in Kamalia, Gojra, Pirmahal and Rajana.
MULTAN: Joining the journalists and lawyers were political workers and rights activists who rejected the curbs on media, condemned the police baton-charge of newsmen in Karachi and arrests, and demanded that the caretaker set-up should lift emergency.
The journalists and civil society organisations pledged to continue their struggle until they achieved the goal of restoration of Geo and ARY transmissions. They called upon the people to transform their thoughts into actions.
Senior journalist Baba Bashir Asghar Chaudhry chaired a meeting organised by the Multan Union of Journalists. They also lashed out at the killing of Hayatullah Khan’s widow in a blast planted at her place.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/22/2007
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