Sindh Bar Council flays ban – Ads ban can’t force Nawa-i-Waqt to give up ideology | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Sindh Bar Council flays ban – Ads ban can’t force Nawa-i-Waqt to give up ideology

ABBOTTABAD – Former NWFP chief minister Afzal Khan Jadoon has said Nawa-i-Waqt has always played a leading role in foiling conspiracies against the solidarity of the country and any intrigue against Nawa-i-Waqt is tantamount to damaging the national interests.

The former chief minister said this while addressing a protest rally arranged by District Press Club, Abbottabad, to protest ban on government advertisements to Nawa-i-Waqt and The Nation. He said Nawa-i-Waqt is an ideological paper and it is an established fact that ideology can never be wiped out by using oppressive tactics.

Jadoon said that the present rulers first ousted the patriotic leadership of the country and then started building relations with India, Israel and United States. He said the present rulers have made the life of its own people miserable by launching operation in the name of al-Qaeeda and terrorism to complete the US agenda in this part of the world. And now they are in a try to hit the Press, the fourth pillar, he said adding as far as Maijd Nizami-like people are alive, the Press faces no danger.

Jadoon said Nawa-i-Waqt is a patriotic newspaper that has been a victim to the conspiracies of the rulers in different eras. He said the present government considers Nawa-i-Waqt a hindrance as it has laid open their anti-state policies. He maintained that the government is resorting to remove this hindrance by force. He termed the intrigue against Nawa-i-Waqt as intrigue against Pakistan.

Nawa-i-Waqt Bureau Chief Nisar Ahmad said the ban imposed by government can never be helpful in stopping objective journalism. He said by stopping advertisements to Nawa-i-Waqt, the government has tried to muzzle the Press. Nisar said despite government conspiracies, Nawa-i-Waqt would continue to promote the truth. He said ban on advertisements is like a constraint on the freedom of Press. Demanding immediate restoration of the due ads to Nawa-i-Waqt and The Nation, he said the journalistic organisations would continue their protest until the ban is removed.

Addressing the rally, Chairman of WAPDA Hydroelectric Union Jamil Akhtar Tanoli called upon the government to stop its blackmailing tactics. Malik Asif of the Hazara Qoumi Mahaz said Nawa-i-Waqt was being punished for speaking the truth and unveiling the facts.

Tebrik-i-Insaf leader Arif Raaz while condemning the ban demanded of the government to release advertisements to Nawa­i-Waqt Group immediately. Pakistan Peoples Party City General Secretary Sh Nisar Ahmad said Majid Nizami has raised voice against the dictatorship and is entitled to be saluted. Labour leader Nasrullah Khan said the government cannot bar the truth to flourish by banning the advertisements.

Nisar Ahmad of the Khaksar Tehrik pledged to support Nawa­i-Waqt which had sacrificed for the stability of the country since its inception. Sardar Jehanzeb and Tariq Khan Jadoon of the PML-N said the ban on advertisements was a conspiracy against the freedom of the Press. They promised to answer every call by Nawa-i-Waqt and Majid Nizami.
Renowned social personality Malik Sajjad said the ban was not on Nawa-i-Waqt Group only but on the whole nation and the nation would fight it out. Chairman Sohni Dharti Sajid Awan said they would never allow any anti-press attempt by the government to succeed.

Labour leader Sarwar Sarhaddi said all the labour community is with Nawa-i-Wa4t. He paid tribute to Majid Nizami saying he could bear loss to Nawa-i-Waqt but would never compromise on, the integrity of the country.

Meanwhile, Asif Zardari Release Committee Punjab activists held a rally at Multan led by former federal minister Mukhtar Ahmad Awan, Kh Rizwan Alim, Jaam Mazhar and AD Baloch.

While addressing the rally, the speakers maintained that the ban on advertisements to Nawa-i­Waqt Group had bared the government claim of the freedom of the Press.

They said Nawa-i-Waqt had always been strict to its principles, and an attempt to make it surrender by putting financial constraints on it would not work. They said it would be a great injustice on the part of the government if this defender of the, country’s ideology was made target. They said the government claims to be the champion of Press freedom but in fact it is resisting the truth and objective journalism followed by the Nawa-i-Waqt Group.

Meanwhile, former Speaker National Assembly Sahabzada Farooq Ali Khan while condemning the ban said whenever a ruler tried to deviate from the ideology of Pakistan Nawa-i-Waqt fulfilled its duty and tried to show him the right path. He said the, declaration of Nawa-i-Waqt was cancelled and advertisements were banned but it never surrendered to any ruler.

Meanwhile, Sindh Bar Council while condemning the ban on government advertisements to Nawa-i-Waqt declared it an attack on the freedom of the Press and termed it violation of the Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Office-bearers of the Sindh Bar Council Mustafa Lakhani, Sadiq Hadaytullah, Yaseen Azad, Sadique Khoso, Muhammad Aaqif, Ismail, Memon, Sarfraz Khan and Ayaz Soomro in a joint statement said it looks as the military government is scared of the criticism by the public, opposition parties, political leaders and the Press.

They said Nawa-i-Waqt and The Nation by putting a ban on their advertisements are being forced to obey the orders by the military rulers. They said followers of Bush do not know how dangerous it is to negate the nation adding that the ban had laid open the government claims of the freedom of the Press.

They also demanded of the government to immediately lift the ban.
Source: The Nation
Date:3/2/2004