No let-up in journalists’ struggle against curbs
ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of JournalistsÂ’ struggle for freedom of expression entered into 14th consecutive on Thursday.
Journalists, while holding placards, banners and black flags, were chanting slogans in support of free media.
They were demanding immediate lift of emergency, curbs on media and return of black laws imposed by the government to control media.
The protest was widely joined by large number of journalists, activists of civil society, lawyers, NGOs’ members, government employees and students of different universities.
Addressing the protestors, President RIUJ Afzal Butt said the civil society activists, lawyers, students and all segments of society stand by us in this struggle.
“Government has started using force to crush our struggle. Police have continuously thrashing and arresting journalists across country. The regime thinks that its brutality can deter our determination but we are getting more strengthen and the struggle is getting momentum,” he added.
He described that our protest was not only for lifting the curbs on media but ending of black laws was also a part of their protest.
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Lifting ban from TV channels is not enough. Government should also take its black laws back, otherwise, we will continue our struggle and will only culminated by achieving freedom of press,” he added.
Ex-bureaucrat Roidad Khan, while addressing the gathering, said that the history of Pakistan was full of martial law but no military dictator quits by his own will.
“Musharraf is also a general and will not free the country. People will have to come out again like in the past. Participation of different segments of society in the latest protests is a good sign which proved that people of Pakistan want to listen and watch truth,” he said.
The protest came to an end with an open-air recording of Tallat Hussain’s Programme ‘Live with Tallat’ which was watched by a large number of people. The government had banned this Programme after the imposition of emergency.
Meanwhile, another protest held in front of Geo Office in which a large number of civil society activists, journalists, students, lawyers and NGOs participated. They protestors while holding torches marched from Geo Office to old Embassy Road. However, the programme ‘ Hum Sub Umeed Se Hain’ was also recorded.
President RIUJ, Afzal Butt told TheNation that the open-air recordings of banned programmes will continue with their protests and it will give a chance to the viewers to watch their favourite anchors live.
He also requested the people to come Islamabad Press Club to watch those programmes, which were banned by the government.
Israr Ahmed adds from Rawalpindi: Scores of journalists, lawyers, activists of various political parties and representatives of civil society demonstrated against imposition of emergency, PCO, draconian laws for gagging the media, abeyance of Constitution and ouster of apex court Judges here on Thursday at Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club near Liaquat Bagh on Murree Road.
According to the details, number of journalists (belonging to electronic and print media), lawyers, political activists belonging to opposition parties holding placards, banners inscribed anti-government slogans gathered at RWP-ISB Press club and marched towards Murree Road chanting slogans against present regime.
A large number of riot police contingents were deployed to take control on this freedom-lover storm but no untoward happening was occurred during the protest.
Number of lawyers including some lady lawyers also joined protesting journalists outside Rawalpindi Press Club near Liaqat Bagh. Journalists carried out the protest on the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) against the closure of some TV channels and restraints on the media as a whole.
They were holding placards inscribed slogans ‘We want freedom’, ‘Media in Chain’, ‘ free the judiciary and media’ and ‘PEMRA Ordinance Na Manzoor’.
Addressing the journalists Hajji Nawaz Raza former President Rawalpindi Islamabad Press Club said journalists would not accept unlawful restrictions and would carry on their struggle despite all odds.
Toufiq Asif a senior advocate on the occasion said both journalist and legal community were striving for the rule of law in the country and they would forebear all hostile forces in this regard.
The protesters marched towards the Murree Road where they were not allowed to go on the road.
Speaking on this occasion, the speakers condemned the black laws imposed on media by a dictator and demanded of immediate release of media from the paws of dictatorship. They vowed to continue their struggle for the freedom of media till the last drop of their blood.
They also strongly condemned the police butchery on peacefully protesting journalists in Karachi the other day.
Source: The Nation
Date:11/23/2007
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