Protesters attack press club and injure staff member
Protesters demonstrating against a private television station attacked the Karachi Press Club (KPC)on February 29, 2004, seriously wounding a guard and damaging the club’s property.
According to media reports, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the KPC’s premises and chanted slogans against a programme aired by Geo television station, which had reportedly offended the Shiite Muslim community.
About 20 protesters scaled the KPC’s walls and broke the windows of the club’s main reception area. The protesters beat the guard, Rafiq, who was trying to block their entry.
Journalists inside the club at the time of the attack took cover in a room on the first floor. The protesters left after ransacking the club’s premises. Although police arrived at the scene of the incident, they did not make any arrests.
One of the club’s officials said the wounded KPC guard was taken to the Civil Hospital for treatment. KPC President Sabihuddin Ghausi strongly condemned the incident, which he called “a cowardly act.” “The KPC is a symbol of democracy, freedom of expression, religious tolerance and sectarian harmony. This is recognised by all the freedom-loving democratic and enlightened people of Pakistan,” he said in a statement. “I urge all democratic and enlightened people, irrespective of their religious, sectarian, ethnic and political affiliations, to condemn this cowardly attack on this institution,” he added.
Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) President Mazhar Abbas also condemned the incident, describing it as “a shameful act.” “We believe the Karachi Press Club has always been an impartial institution, which provides equal opportunity to all segments of society to express their views freely,” he said, while adding that “the attack on such an institution is an attack on freedom of expression.”
The protesters tried to reach the premises of the Jang Group, Geo’s parent company, but were stopped by police.
Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Date:3/1/2004
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