Aaheer, who reports for the Daily Jang newspaper in Multan, in the eastern province of Punjab, was attacked on his way home by gunmen, who beat him with the butts of their pistols, causing serious injuries.

“The attacks on Aaheer and the newspaper trucks were clearly designed to intimidate media workers and deter them from doing their work,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk. “Pakistan is already one of the world’s deadliest countries for journalists and these constant attacks just reinforces the feeling of danger in which they have to operate.”

The latest attacks have come at a particularly tense moment for the media, which have been the target of a major smear campaign ever since the TV news station Geo News broadcast claims by its leading anchor, Hamid Mir, that the intelligence agencies were behind a shooting attack in which he was badly injured on 19 April.

As the Daily Jang is part of the same media group as Geo News, it is also one of the main targets of the campaign of smears and intimidation. Cable TV operators briefly suspended transmission of Geo TV after receiving threatening letters and in some cases also bullets.

The masked gunmen who attacked Aaheer on 31 May, smashing the window of his car, called him an “agent of the Indians and the Jews” and said: “You have escaped earlier and now you can’t.” A threatening letter sent to Daily Jang employees on 5 May urged them to leave this “traitor” media group and demanded the closure of its Peshawar offices.

Attacks on newspaper trucks

One of the most recent attacks on newspaper distribution trucks was in Rawalpindi on 30 May, when a dozen unidentified individuals armed with pistols and Kalashnikovs intercepted a truck with copies of The News bound for Islamabad.

They told the driver to get out if he wanted to save his life. When he refused to move, they opened fire without hitting the truck and then soaked it with kerosene and set it on fire. Similar methods were used in an attack on a truck carrying hundreds of copies of the Daily Jang and The News on 25 May.

The driver of a satellite news-gathering van was attacked and tortured by three individuals on 23 May before managing to escape. They doused the vehicle with gasoline but, before they could set it on fire, police arrived and they fled shouting death threats.

A similar attack was reported on a truck carrying thousands of copies of the Jang newspaper in Karachi. The driver was not hurt.

These attacks have forced the targeted newspapers to reprint many thousands of copies.

In response to the constant threats and harassment, the lead story on Geo News and in Jang on 26 May was an apology to the intelligence agencies for their coverage of the shooting attack on Hamid Mir, which they described as “excessive, distressful and emotional.”

Pakistan is ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.

Reporter Without Border

Zafar Aheer, an editor of the Urdu-language Daily Jang, was returning home from work on Sunday when six armed men on two motorcycles and in a car surrounded his vehicle, news reports said. The assailants beat Aheer, confiscated his mobile phone, and fired around his car before fleeing, the reports said. The editor was bruised on his face and shoulders, according to reports.

Aheer told BBC Urdu that the assailants said those who worked for Jang group were traitors, Jews, and agents for India’s intelligence agency. He said he had received death threats recently in connection with his affiliation with the Jang media group, reports said.

Daily Jang, part of the Jang media group, is headed by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, who also serves as the top executive at Geo TV. Rahman’s media outlets have come under increased fire since Geo TV broadcast allegations that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence was responsible for the assassination attempt on Hamid Mir, one of its anchors. Geo has also been facing pressure from religious conservatives for airing a daytime show that clerics allege was blasphemous, according to reports.

Police said they are investigating the attack.

“How much longer do Pakistani journalists have to walk in fear that anyone with a political agenda or grudge can have them beaten or killed without consequences?” said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. “The authorities must launch a thorough investigation into the attack on Zafar Aheer and ensure that both the assailants and those who sent them are held to account. Anything less will further endanger already vulnerable journalists, including those who work for Geo TV Network and the Jang Group.”

CPJ signed a joint letter with other press freedom and human rights groups on Thursday that called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to follow through on commitments he made to CPJ in March to address anti-press violence.

Committee to Protect Journalists

Protest against suspension of Geo TV Network transmission continued on Monday as people from different walks of life vehemently condemned the move aimed at curbing media freedom.

The major protest held outside the Geo/Jang Group offices on Davis Road was attended by journalists, students and members of civil society, who voiced their support to Geo and rejected the plot to ban it.

Major speakers at the protest included Civil Society Network President Abdullah Malik and senior journalists Maqsood Butt, Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Mirza Naseer Baig, Muzaffar Mehmood, Ejaz Mirza, Adnan Malik, Amin Hafeez and others.

Abdullah Malik said Geo had given the message of love, adding that the elements, which did not believe in media freedom and democracy, were now busy in burning the copies of Jang and The News.Geo Lahore Bureau Chief Khawar Naeem Hashmi, in his address, said the institutions supposed to defend the people were busy in intimidating Geo.

Maqsood Butt stated that the journalists had achieved the freedom after a long struggle and their strength couldn’t be crushed through force. He said the honourable court had ordered restoration of Geo transmission but it had not been implemented.

Business Forum Chairman Samiullah Butt said attacks on journalists were bringing a bad name to the country and therefore the culprits should be brought to book immediately. Progressive Group Chairman Khalid Usman said that journalists are believed to be the ears and eyes of a society. If they are attacked, common people would feel themselves more insecure.

Anjuman-e-Tajiran Pakistan President Khalid Pervaiz said such incidents should not only be stopped but the government must take note of it immediately. According to reports received from Bhalwal, a traders meeting held here with Rehan Ahmad Butt in the chair, strongly condemned the attack on Zafar Aaheer. Haji Mahmood Ahmad Khokhar and others said attacks on Geo and Jang were a cause of concern among all citizens of Pakistan.

According to Baseerpur correspondent, known lawyers Mian Adnan Sarwar Wattoo Advocate, Mian Imran Khan Wattoo Advocate, Amjad Ali Mughal Advocate and others, addressing a joint press conference here Monday condemned the attack on Zafar Aaheer, blackout of Geo TV Network and burning of copies of Jang and The News as well as vehicles in different cities. They said there was no concept of such punitive actions against the media in any other country.

According to Kassowal correspondent, Federal Forum for Journalists Protection Central Convener Muhammad Jameel Malik condemned an attack on daily Jang Resident Editor Zafar Aaheer and demanded an immediate arrest of those who attacked him.

According to the Faisalabad Jang correspondent, the local journalists recorded their protest against any action against the Geo/Jang Group and the attack on Zafar Aaheer. They organised a rally from the Faisalabad Press Club to District Council Chowk.

Addressing the rally, senior journalist Shahbaz Ahmed said the journalists community would thwart all conspiracies against the Geo/Jang Group. Zafar Dogar said the government should take action against those targeting the Geo/Jang Group.

The Faisalabad Union of Journalists (Dastoor) also demonstrated against the revengeful actions being taken against the Geo/Jang Group. The journalists who participated in the demonstration were carrying placards and banners reading pro-Geo and Jang slogans.

FUJ President Sajjad Haider Muna, addressing the demonstration, said 50,000 journalists and workers would be rendered jobless in case of the Geo closure. So the revengeful activities against the Geo/Jang Group be stopped.

Earlier, in a meeting called by the FUJ, Federal Union of Journalists General Secretary Riffat Qadri presented a resolution demanding action against those who burnt daily Jang vehicles and attacked and threatened Geo workers. The resolution also demanded an immediate restoration of Geo TV telecast. The resolution was passes with consensus.

Senior journalist Zafar Dogar led a rally in which the Geo/Jang workers and representatives of other newspapers and TV channels participated in large numbers. The prominent among them were Syed Waqas Haider, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mian Shafiq, Mian Shafiq and Sarfraz Naz.

Zafar Dogar said it wasn’t an attack on a single person or journalist as it targeted all the media. “All of us are Hamid Mir,” he remarked, adding that the attack on Aaheer was tantamount to an assault on the collective interest of the country.

Lawyers community of DBA Kasur including Rana Naveed Ahmad Joyia president Insaf Group of lawyers, Syed Ikhsan Shah Hamdani (general secretary of Insaf Group), Rana Tanveer Ahmad Joyia, members of Pakistan Media Guild (PMG) including Rana Naveed (president), Rana Sohail Ahmad (gen secy) Muazzam Khalil SVP, Rana Irfan (VP) M. Saleemur Rahman (addl gen secy PMG), etc appealed to the Supreme Court Chief Justice for taking strict steps on condition of different institutions including Pemra, judiciary and media.

In a joint statement Monday, they said more then 80 per cent viewers of Geo news were upset due to its closure by the cable operators. They wondered on whose orders the cable operators have shut the Geo channel.

In Khudian Khas (Kasur district), the president of local press club, Haji Ahmed Ali Qaiser and Senior Vice-President M Saleem Khalifa, Vice-President Haji Ahmed Ali Zargar, General-Secretary Sabir Ali Babar, Deputy Secretary Shafiq Akram Junejo, Finance Secretary Liaquat Ali, Mehr Basharat, Irfan Tabani and Mirza Fahim-ul-Hassan held a meeting. They demanded the government to arrest the culprits at the earliest and give them an exemplary punishment for ensuring that such acts were not repeated in the future.

In Sialkot, Union of Journalist General-Secretary Faisal Butt described the incident as an attempt to weaken media – fourth pillar of the state and vowed the journalists would foil such conspiracies through united action.

Punjab Press Council Chairman Malik Iftikhar Hussain said democracy and media could not be separated, but the anti-democracy forces were causing such unfortunate incidents only because of their vested interests. He said it was a duty of every citizen to condemn the trend.

Senior journalist Muhammad Ashraf Kamal said that citizens were being deprived of their right to watch the favourite TV channel for the last 43 days. The situation had worsened with each passing day as the Jang Group workers were facing life threat. He asked the government to end the prevailing confusion by playing its due role.

An emergency meeting was also held at Khanqah Dogran Press Club where its president, Mian Jamshed Abbas Dogar said the country had become a police state because of the apathy shown by the government. Senior Vice-President Sabir Waseem and Vice-President Nisar Ahmed Khan vowed that the voice of truth could not be suppressed by cowardly acts like the terrorist attack on Aaheer. They also stated that any kind of restriction media was unacceptable to the journalist community.

Other office holders and journalists including Tariq Mehmood, Qazi Ahmed Ali Farooqui, Mehr Shabbir Hussain, Nayyer Abbas, Tariq Mehmood Mughal, Amjad Ali, Yousaf Bhatti, Kashif Munawar Bhatti Azam Bhatti and Syed Imtiaz Altaf Bokhari attended the meeting. They prayed for swift recovery of Hamid Mir and Zafar Aaheer.

A meeting of the Pakpattan Press Club Monday condemned attack on daily Jang Multan’s Resident Editor Zafar Aaheer. Meanwhile, a meeting of Union of Journalists of Pakpattan also slammed the attack. They have demanded the government to immediately arrest attackers. They also condemned an incident near Lodhran, where armed men snatched Jang copies. They urged the government to provide security to people supplying newspapers.

The News

While talking to the senior journalist, the minister condemned the assault on him in Multan.He said that the government believed in freedom of expression and would take every possible step to ensure the security of the working journalists and media persons so that they could perform their duties in accordance with their professional ethos. The minister also prayed for early recovery of the injured journalist. — APP

News Desk adds: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) also strongly condemned the attack on Zafar Aheer. The CPNE has demanded of the federal and provincial governments to provide adequate protection and security to the editors and journalists.

In a statement, the president and secretary-general of the CPNE, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami and Dr Jabbar Khattak, said that the attack on Zafar Aheer is a vile attempt to trample on journalism.

They said that despite the repeated demands for security to newspaper editors, journalists and newspaper workers, the number of complaints of terrorism is increasing. The statement demanded of the government to arrest the culprits involved in torturing Zafar Aheer and to bring them to book so that the fraternity of journalists could carry out their responsibilities freely, impartially and without any fear.

Our correspondent adds: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has also condemned attacks on Daily Jang Resident Editor in Multan, Zafar Aaheer, and Jang bureau chief in Khairpur.

It also appealed to the clerics issuing fatwas to instruct their followers to refrain from harming journalists and media workers.In a joint statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt, and Secretary General Khursheed Abbasi said law enforcement agencies should ensure protection of journalists and media workers.

They said condolence messages would not work if any journalist suffered from an irreparable loss. Butt appealed to Jang Group not to mention names of threatened journalists and media workers, as it would add to dangers to their life. He said Jang Group should register cases of threats to journalists at the concerned police stations.

The PFUJ president and secretary general said the government is playing silent spectator on the issue of media crisis, which is increasing their concern. They said the government should try to resolve the media conflict at the earliest and ensure security of journalists. They added that those involved in attacks on journalists should be arrested.

The News

Aheer told Pakistan Press Foundation that he was going home from work when six masked men, riding two motorcycles and a car intercepted him and started beating him. He was hit with gun butts and received serious injuries in his head, shoulders, legs and other parts of the body. Beside beating him and snatching his mobile, attackers also damaged his car, he said.

According to press reports, published in “The News,” which is part of the Jang and Geo media group, Aheer said that the attackers talked of shooting him on the legs and called him a traitor. The reports also said, Aheer had called the senior editor and informed him about the possible suspects involved in the attack.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned another attack and called it an attack on free press. They demanded of the government for prompt inquiry of the attack and to bring the culprits to justice.

The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) strongly condemned the continued acts of vandalism, harassment and intimidation unleashed against the Jang and Geo media house. In après release, APNS noted with concern that the attack on Aheer was a heinous act and was continuation of series of acts meted out to browbeat the Jang Group, including looting and burning of vehicles containing bundles of newspapers and harassment of the employees of Jang Group in different parts of the country.

The APNS press release said it considers such acts aimed at to arm twisting and curbing the press freedom and called upon the democratic forces and the civil society that it is high time to come forward for inculcating democratic norms and tolerance in the society and demand the federal and provincial governments to check this trend and bring the culprits to book.

Pakistan Press Foundation

The APNS noted with concern that in the wee hours of Sunday morning, some hooligans attacked, abused and brutally tortured Zafar Aheer, Editor Daily Jang Multan. This heinous act was continuation of series of acts meted out to browbeat the Jang Group, including looting and burning of vehicles containing bundles of newspapers and harassment of the employees of Jang Group in different parts of the country.

It is surprising as well as regretful that no action was initiated against the culprits by law enforcers which encouraged such elements to perpetuate their crimes. The APNS considers such acts aimed at to arm twisting and curbing the press freedom.

The APNS called upon the democratic forces and the civil society that it is high time to come forward for inculcating democratic norms and tolerance in the society and demand the federal and provincial governments to check this trend and bring the culprits to book.

The News

Speaking at a seminar, organised at the Lahore Press Club on Sunday, they expressed solidarity with Geo/Jang Group and Hamid Mir and called upon the PML-N government to re-establish its writ in the country.

Federal Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafique said he supports Hamid Mir and has always maintained a close association with the senior anchorperson. He called his father Waris Mir a patriotic citizen. Saad said Hamid Mir had advised him when he was going out of line in dealing with the trial of General Pervez Musharraf and said Mir embodies the values of Islam, democracy and patriotism.

However, Saad said the media in Pakistan is engaged in a dirty war with itself that threatens the freedom of the press. He said those committing acts of vandalism, including the burning of Jang vehicles, would not benefit and have to ultimately lose the war on free speech.

Saad said the media in Pakistan was highly sensationalist and some anchors and journalists were deeply unethical and were misleading the public. The minister said the culture of breaking news and ratings had destroyed the authenticity and quality of the electronic media. He said the media in Pakistan was behaving like the Supreme Court and delivering judgements on politicians on baseless allegations. He said most media house owners were tax-evaders and had opened TV channels as their public relations wings. He criticised the display of the DG ISI’s picture on Geo News after the Hamid Mir attack and also criticised certain TV channels for showing the blasphemous video again and again to their viewers.

The minister said the government was playing the role of a necessary fire brigade between the Jang Group and the military establishment. He said this is important in order to lessen tensions and stop things from getting worse. Saad said democracy is not a gift and has been earned by Pakistan’s civilian leadership after great heartache and trial. This should not be undermined. He termed the talks in London highly regrettable.

He reminded Imran Khan that the PTI won the elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa under the same ‘fraudulent system’. He urged setting up of a media accountability mechanism in media houses and invited Tahirul Qadri to come forward instead of avoiding the government and holding ‘dharnas’.

In his telephonic address to the seminar, Hamid Mir condemned the attack on Aaheer and said the culprits wanted to curb press freedom. He said Aaheer’s attackers were the same who had attacked him on April 19, who had thrown petrol bombs on Jang vehicles and burnt Jang newspaper bundles. He said his patience and commitment to journalism had enhanced due to the support received from civil society and the journalists’ community. He reiterated the need for unity in Pakistan’s journalist community in such testing times. He said the recent events in the country reminded him of General Ziaul Haq’s dark era when journalists were flogged and sent to jails. He said there should not be any ambiguity about those who were responsible for the attack on Zafar Aaheer, who were behind the illegal suspension of Geo TV networks’ suspension through cable operators, who hurled threats at the Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari and attacked journalists in the past.

Hamid said these elements wanted to create division in the media industry and they had succeeded in pitting media outlets and journalists against each other. He said different cable operators told journalists that they were ‘helpless’ as they were facing severe pressure from unnamed circles. He thanked parliamentarians who supported him during his tough times. However, he added, condemnation was not enough and his attackers should be exposed and brought to book. Hamid said the police should also look into Aaheer attack case and arrest the assailants at the earliest.

Hamid said the Karachi police were afraid of arresting his attackers, despite knowing their identity and whereabouts. He said other journalists have also been approached by the intelligence agencies, and Arshad Ansari had been threatened via a letter to stop holding events in favour of Hamid Mir and press freedom. He said over 30,000 journalists have been approached by the intelligence agencies in this regard.

Hamid said such elements were mistaken if they believe that by doing so they could silence and suppress the media. He said the Pakistani media was not like the army generals who had surrendered in Bangladesh in the 1971 war.

Hamid said the civilian government is weak and the military has imposed a de facto martial law in the country. He said the judiciary’s orders are not being respected and it is the responsibility of the civilian government to establish its writ and expose his attackers. He said he had given all evidence to the judicial commission set up to investigate the April 19 attack on him.

Hamid Mir said a Taliban hit list comprising names of journalists being circulated by the interior ministry among few chosen channels should be provided to all media outlets. He said his name was on top of the list, followed by journalists from different media groups.

He also condemned the newly formed alliance of Tahirul Qadri and the Chaudhrys which will weaken democracy in the country. Hamid saluted the LPC and journalists in Pakistan for their courage despite opposition from all quarters. He said the country’s establishment is in the business of branding people as traitors, especially sincere and professional journalists. He said the struggle of the Jang Group is a nationwide struggle for democracy, press freedom and the right to life of all citizens.

Hamid Mir also condemned the murder of HRCP Multan coordinator and lawyer Rashid Rehman last month. He concluded his speech by chanting “Pakistan Zindabad’ and saying an attack on one journalist will be taken as an attack on all in the community.

Kasur Press Club President Khadim Ali Khokhar, Okara Press Club President Munir Chaudhry and Sheikhupura Press Club President Shahbaz also condemned attempts to shut down Geo and the Jang Group, and expressed solidarity with senior anchorperson Hamid Mir.

Jamaat-e-Islami representative Farooq Chohan said his party was committed to press freedom and would not participate in meetings taking place in London between Tahirul Qadri, Pervaiz Elahi and Ch Shujaat Hussain. He said the JI believes in complete press freedom and Liaquat Baloch had met Hamid Mir in hospital after the attack in Karachi. He said JI chief Sirajul Haq firmly believes that imposition of a ban on Geo TV would be illegal and immoral.

He said former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had earned the wrath of the intelligence agencies for taking up the missing persons’ case and today the media is facing similar pressures due to the same reason. He said the JI would not take part in the London talks because the party respects the democratic process and the mandate of the PML-N government. He said the alliance currently being formed in London was part of a conspiracy to gain a safe passage for the American CIA in the region.

Chohan said the Jang Group had tendered an apology over the eight-hour transmission about the agencies role which followed the attack on Hamid Mir and the blasphemy charge. Even then he added, efforts were under way to shut down the media group. He urged PM Nawaz Sharif to re-establish his writ over the country in order to escape General Pervez Musharraf’s fate today in judicial custody.

South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) General Secretary Imtiaz Alam said he had fought for democracy for 25 years and the destination was still nowhere in sight. He said the media in Pakistan needs to develop a code of conduct, refrain from hate speech, and encourage responsible and sensitive reporting.

Alam said we are happy that the army is fighting against terrorists. But it is a matter of concern that the banned organisations were staging demonstrations in favour of the army, he said adding that we are moving towards an unlawful state. He said the chief justice of Pakistan should take suo motu notice of the attack on Geo.

He said Pakistan’s own media has defeated itself in the fight for press freedom. Alam said Pakistan’s civilian government needs to re-establish its writ over the country as we cannot accept the bullet power of non-state actors. He said the attack on Hamid Mir is also of concern to Pakistan’s masses as it shows the state’s failure to protect a citizen’s right to life and a media consumer’s right to information.

Imtiaz Alam said we cannot compromise on fundamental rights and Pakistan can no longer be a ‘graveyard of democracy’. He also condemned the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on grounds of independence and fairness.

Alam said any attack on any anchorperson from any TV channel would have drawn a similar response as has happened in the case of Hamid Mir. He said owners of media outlets are engaged in a self-destructive rivalry in the country today. He also condemned the conspiracy theories being aired on Hamid Mir’s wounds and said Geo’s closure would lead to the economic death of 50,000 workers.

Alam said legal ways should be sought in criticising Geo TV and Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid should not just attend rallies but also deliver on his promises. He said the Pakistan Army, intelligence agencies, and Jang Group can resolve their problems through dialogue. Alam said in the 21st century a ban on any media channel is unacceptable. He said the attempts to close Jang Group is a test of civil-military relations by the army and that All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) should wake up from its slumber and take an action.

Punjab Union of Journalists President Waseem Farooq said the PUJ has gone on hunger strike, borne flogging and imprisonments to defend press freedom. He said the PUJ is carrying the torch of senior journalists Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Nisar Usmani, and Iqbal Jafri. He said media house owners should implement labour laws and give their employees decent wages if they need them to participate in protests for press freedom. He said working journalists in the Jang Group need support from society to ensure that their jobs are not endangered.

Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) Vice President Shaheen Qureshi told the seminar that Geo TV is practically shut down due to the role of the cable operators and subsequent drop in viewers. He said this is undemocratic as it deprives viewers of the right to information. Qureshi said advertisers are pulling back and Jang’s circulation in most areas has come to a halt. He said only areas occupied by foreign diplomats in Islamabad get The News, which is a clever move to mislead the international media into thinking all is well with regards to press freedom.

Qureshi said PML-N MNA Tehmina Daultana in a Safma meeting had assured him that she would communicate these issues to PM Nawaz Sharif. The CPNE vice-president said information of Hamid Mir’s arrival in Karachi and work schedule could only have been accessed by intelligence agencies. He told the media on Sunday that Mir’s reporting on Balochistan’s missing persons long march and coverage of Musharraf’s trial had angered certain elements. He said the attack on Mir was intended as a lesson for Pakistan’s media.

Qureshi urged the government to not be helpless as it had won the mandate of 180 million Pakistanis in 2013 elections. He said the country’s judiciary is being disrespected as evidenced in the banners hung in Islamabad’s red zone with names of Supreme Court judges. He said Jang Group is not in need of certificates of patriotism from PTI leader Imran Khan. He said the group is not an enemy of the government and that democracy and press freedom are natural allies.

Geo News Lahore Bureau Chief Khawar Naeem Hashmi lamented the division in the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and said both disputing parties need to come together and resolve their dispute. Hashmi said he does not want any division in the media unions to be inherited by successive generations and both wings of the PFUJ should accept each other. He said they should heed Hamid Mir’s advice to the journalist community and stop infighting. Hashmi said that this is not a fight of media house owners but of all working journalists.

PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry, in response to Shaheen Qureshi’s comments on Imran Khan, said press freedom is not safeguarding the right to insult politicians only. He said PTI’s demand for inquiry into election rigging should not be set aside and that the party was committed to press freedom. He said Hamid Mir is a hardworking and loved journalist.

Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari said it was a tragedy that Hamid Mir’s perpetrators are yet to be arrested and condemned the attack on the Jang Resident Editor in Multan. Ansari said whereas divisions in the PFUJ are unfortunate they should be resolved in meetings mediated by veterans in the field. Ansari said that Geo had practically been shut down and it could result in joblessness among journalists.

Former Supreme Court Bar Association President Abid Hassan Minto also expressed solidarity with Hamid Mir and called out the ‘deep state’ for its covert attempts to silence the media. The lawyer also said protests being held in support of the army are futile as the public knows who is behind organising these protests. Minto said the army according to Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution is bound to serve the country and not intervene in political affairs.

News Desk adds: Later, talking to Geo News, Saad Rafique said the Geo TV sought a pardon several times for playing a Qawwali once. Those who re-telecast the same clip 70 times were feeling no shame.

He said the freedom of expression was threatened by the same billionaires who opened TV channels and newspapers to protect their black money. He said batons and the useless use of the TV remote were not in the interest of the country. Those who were burning the newspapers would get nothing but shame.

He said Pakistan did not get democracy in charity and democracy was not a vegetable (gaajar, mooli) which could be chopped off. He said: “We couldn’t say before the time of Musharraf, but now we can say that it is the right of the PML-N to say that it was involved in the process to restore democracy in the country.” He said the necks of politicians were thin, so they could be beaten by anyone.

Saad said the retired chief justice of Pakistan could be ridiculed by the retired general Pervez Musharraf could not be laughed at and nothing could be said about him. He said the government was working like a fire brigade and it showed a positive attitude in the current circumstances. He said that by not joining the London alliance, Imran Khan took a wise decision after a long time. He said the Chaudhry brothers and the Maulana could not do anything.

The News