PFUJ, APNEC concerned over remarks against journalists
KARACHI: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation (APNEC) leaders have expressed concern over the remarks passed by Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid while announcing the verdict in the ‘Supreme Court attack case’.
PFUJ and APNEC leaders termed the observations of Justice Zahid regarding the role of journalists as ‘against the facts’.
The President PFUJ, I H Rashid, Secretary General, Fauzia Shahid, Chairman APNEC, Abdul Hameed Chapra and Secretary General, Pervez Shaukat, in a statement said on Monday that four journalists had appeared before the court as witnesses and recorded their evidence and “described all what they witnessed.” They added, the photos of people published in the newspapers and the videocassettes of the incident were in access of the honourable court.
The PFUJ and APNEC representatives stated that the SC judges and a large number of lawyers were also present in the court building when the mob attacked and they could appear before the court as witnesses to protect the prestige of the national institution. They said in the light of these facts, pointing finger towards the journalists could be termed as unfair comment.
They said the respected judge himself had stated in his judgment that ‘after hearing 21 witnesses and examining the videocassette, he was convinced that two to three thousand demonstrators – carrying banners and posters – gathered at the SC building, chanted slogans and entered the court room after crashing the gate’.
They further said despite these facts the court was competent to acquit the accused if it felt that enough proof and evidence could not be gathered against them. But the conscious people, especially the journalists community, criticised by the court, viewed the verdict with concern.
The APNEC and PFUJ leaders reiterated the pledge that the journalist community would continue its 50 years old traditional struggle to establish rule of law and for upholding of the judiciary in the country and render every sacrifice for the cause whenever needed.
Source: The News
Date:5/18/1999
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