Rally demands withdrawal of sedition cases
KARACHI: The mammoth Press Freedom March, organised by the All Parties Press Freedom Committee to express solidarity with the Jang Group, on Monday demanded of the government to stop victimizing the Jang Group and bring an immediate end to the negative tactics against newspapers and withdraw the sedition cases against three newspapers.
The resolution was presented by Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, provincial chief of PPP and leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly, and unanimously passed by the mammoth crowd at the end of the march near the Sindh Assembly.
The resolution said: “This representative gathering of all political parties, trade unions, social organisations, intellectuals pledges to always stand united and express solidarity for the cause of freedom of expression.
‘This gathering is demanding the rulers to withdraw the sedition cases against Daily Jang, Daily Amn and Daily Parcham and stop victimizing Daily Star, Daily Muslim, Monthly Newsline and other newspapers and periodicals.
“This gathering reached to a consensus that government actions against the Jang Group and other newspapers were in fact against the freedom of press and national solidarity. That is why the entire nation and its representatives have decided to back the Jang Group. We condemn the freezing of bank accounts, seizing of newsprint and other negative tactics on part of government.
“We unanimously demand that dishonest person like Saifur Rehman, who is also a defaulter of banks, should be immediately removed from the Ehtesab Bureau, arrested and tried on sedition charges for violating the Constitution.
“Mushahid Hussain should also be removed as Information Minister and the ministry should be abolished. This historical march also demands that the Pakistan Television and Radio should be freed from government control and the electronic media should not be made as the rulers’ mouthpiece and the unilateral propaganda against the elected representatives and the Political parties should be stopped forthwith.
“This rally assures the journalist community of full support in this historical struggle for freedom of the press and demands of all newspaper proprietors, APNS and CPNE, to make sure implementation of sixth wage board award in full and abolish the contract system in newspapers.
Source: The News
Date:2/9/1999
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