LAHORE: Journalists and media workers staged a demonstration at the Charing Cross on Friday to condemn downsizing in media houses, accusing the government of encouraging publishers and TV channels’ owners to throw their staff in the street.

PPP’s Hasan Murtaza also spoke and expressed solidarity with the protesting journalists, assuring full support of his party and its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“We will support you within and outside the assembly. Our party has always supported the media community. Bilawal has already shown this by attending your demonstration in Islamabad last month,” he said.

The demonstration was organised by the Joint Action Committee that consists of former and present presidents of the Lahore Press Club and leaders of media trade unions and unions of journalists.

Carrying placards, journalists and media workers raised slogans against the owners of media houses for firing their staff and the government for supporting them. They also condemned the opposition parties for keeping mum over the treatment being given to media workers and journalists.

They also burnt effigies and tyres, and also blocked The Mall to lodge their protest against sacking of their colleagues.

JAC members condemned Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry for his statement on Thursday that the future of media in Pakistan was bleak and therefore the young generation should stop getting media education. They said this statement exposed government’s designs of paralyzing media.

“On the one hand the prime minister is talking of building five million houses and on the other his government is supporting the media houses in destroying us,” said Punjab Assembly Press Gallery President Khwaja Naseer.

Others said that when the government was damaging media in Pakistan with the help of its owners, the opposition was watching all this silently which was regrettable. “The government wants to weaken and control media in Pakistan,” Shahbaz Mian said.

Former LPC president Arshad Ansari said hundreds of media workers and journalists had been fired all over the country so far and reports indicated further retrenchments. He severely criticised federal and Punjab information ministers for their conduct and said that instead of taking a notice of the downsizing, the government was helping the media owners fill their coffers.

Speakers announced they would stage demonstrations in front of assemblies, government offices and the residences of media owners, against delaying salaries and sacking of staff. They also announced an in-house meeting of the JAC to review strategy for further agitation.LPC President Azam Chaudhry, Rana Azeem, Ziaullah Niazi and Naeem Hanif were present.

Dawn

LAHORE: The Joint Action Committee of journalists and media workers on Monday staged demonstrations at Charing Cross and simultaneously on the stairs of the Punjab Assembly building against lay-offs and salary cuts.

A large number of newsmen, cameramen, photojournalists and media workers as well as lawyers and civil society members participated in the protest and chanted slogans against their employers.

JAC convener Azam Chaudhry, members Arshad Ansari, Naeem Hanif, Faisal Durrani, Ziaullah Niazi as well as senior journalists Rana Muhammad Azeem, Raja Riaz, anchors Mubashir Luqman and Arif Hameed Bhatti addressed the protesters. Speakers demanded that the government conduct audit of media houses, explaining the advertisements’ payments as well as taxes paid.

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, speaking on the floor of the house as well as at the demonstration, asserted that the government had neither cut any advertisement nor reduced advertisement rates during its [so far] two-month tenure. He said advertisements were being issued to newspapers as well as news channels without any interruption.

“It is strongly condemnable, if owners of media houses are sacking and cutting salaries of journalists and media workers on the pretext of suspension of advertisements,” the information minister said.

The minister also invited the JAC members at DGPR on Tuesday (today) 11am to show them the record of government advertisements issued to newspapers and channels during the last two months.

The minister said a code of conduct with regard to the media workers was being prepared, which would eventually be passed by the Punjab Assembly.

According to the code of conduct, he said, any complaint by a journalist or media worker about non-payment of salaries for two or more months would empower the DGPR to suspend advertisements for those media houses. He said the advertisements would be restored only after the complainant would withdraw complaint for being satisfied with the media organisation.

JAC convener Azam Chaudhry said the demonstration marked the beginning of a protest movement and all journalists and media workers bodies would continue to hold protests and also besiege the media houses, owners’ offices as well as their residences.

He announced that the journalists and media workers would hold a sit-in outside Lahore Press Club on a daily basis from Wednesday (tomorrow) at 4pm.

Dawn

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

The protesters, carrying banners, placards in favour the Geo/Jang Group, and terming the ban on Geo against fundamental rights, said that any such action would be tantamount to economic murder of around 50,000 workers of the largest media house.

Among the prominent persons who attended the protest were senior journalists Nasrullah Malik, Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Maqsood Butt, Bedar Bakht Butt, Sadia Sharif, Ameen Hafiz, Jang Workers Union President Rukhsana Nazli, General Secretary Waseem Babar, Fakhira Tehreem, Shahzada Irfan, Jamaat-e-Islami general secretary Ameerul Azeem, Sadia Jabeen of the PPP, Shahid Aslam, Imdad Qureshi, Zahid Rafique Bhatti, Sabir Awan, Zahid Ali Khan, Ijaz Manzoor, Ijaz Mirza, Farooq Chohan, Naseer Baig, Azhar Maqbool, Sadia Aziz, Huma Mir Hassan, Naveed Aslam, President Civil Society Pakistan Abdullah Malik, Sohail Butt, Muneer Khokhar, Adeel Khokhar, Shafqat Imran, Asim Naseer and Waheed Butt.

Nasrullah Malik said he had come to join the protest as defending freedom of press was the duty of every journalist. He said our (media) victory lies in defending our freedom against all dictatorial acts. Which Constitution allows to forcibly snatch copies of newspapers and to threaten the cable operators to shut a channel (Geo), Malik asked, adding that some black sheep exist in our community which need to be thrown out now.

Allama Siddique Azhar said it was a matter of grave concern that Geo TV is off air as employment of thousands of workers is attached with this largest media house. He said nefarious designs with the help of some other channels have been made to discredit the most reliable source (Jang/Geo) of information for the public only to serve some vested interests.

Bedar Bakht Butt said the attack on senior anchorperson Hamid Mir was not an attack on him alone, rather the whole community came under attack from some powerful quarters who do not want free speech and freedom of the media. He said a planned conspiracy has been put in place after the attack on Hamid Mir to cause unbearable loss to the Geo/Jang Group to oust democracy from the country. He said the time has come to join hands to fight with the ‘angels’ and dictatorial mindset if we want to continue telling the truth to the general public.

Maqsood Butt said by attacking Hamid Mir it seemed that a serious campaign has been launched to eliminate all those journalists who speak the truth and stand in front of all wrongs.

Yousaf Shah and Khursheed Shah while condemning the ban on Geo said all labourers and worker’s unions of the country are with the workers of the Geo/Jang Group at this crucial time, adding that Geo is being targeted only for raising a voice for the poor and the needy.

In his speech, Ameerul Azeem demanded all illegal actions initiated against the Geo/Jang Group be stopped immediately, saying that the media house is the pride of Pakistan. He said Geo and Jang are the voice of millions of Pakistanis and efforts were underway to malign their favourite channel and newspapers which is highly condemnable.

Shahida Jabeen said by discrediting the Geo/Jang Group through such malicious campaigns, some forces want to again impose martial law in the country by throwing out hard-earned democracy. She also asked her leadership to throw persons like Israr Abbassi and Mian Shams out of the PPP as they were dancing to someone else’s tune while sitting in the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

Nisar Safdar Advocate and Iftikhar Shahid Advocate said religious elements are being used by some quarters to settle scores with Geo and Jang as this media house always stood against the high and mighty of the country. He said the media along with the lawyers’ community fought for the independence of the judiciary and now the lawyers will support the media in their fight for freedom and justice.

A representative of the Baloch Ittehad said that it was Geo and Jang alone which highlighted and raised the issues of Balochistan. He said the Baloch nation stands with the workers of the Geo/Jang Group in their fight for truth and freedom.

Abdullah Malik said Geo and Jang always promoted truth, harmony, equality, rule of law in the country. He said damaging this largest media organisation of the country means damaging democracy as every one knows that the independent media would not allow any unconstitutional act in the country again. He said all other channels and media houses should learn some lessons from the management of Geo/Jang Group as they accepted suffering a huge loss in the past one month or so but they never surrendered their freedom to the ‘angels’. He demanded that the government should intervene by finding a solution to the whole mess, otherwise things may go from bad to worse.

Meanwhile, the governing body of the Lahore Press Club on Saturday held its meeting with the chair of LPC President Arshad Ansari and expressed their serious concerns over the ban/suspension of Geo TV across the country.

In a statement issued here, the members of the governing body, while terming the ban on Geo as the economic murder of thousands of employees of the largest media house, said that such action against the Geo/Jang Group on any pretext would not be acceptable to the journalists’ community. “We will not let anyone ban/suspend any channel or media house of the country. If such actions were initiated against any group, the whole community would resist the move with full force,” they said.

The participants of the meeting asked the cable operators to restore Geo TV’s transmission throughout the country otherwise protest rallies would be taken out in all parts of the country.

Besides Arshad Ansari, LPC Secretary Shahbaz Mian, Afzal Talib, Farzana Ch, Asif Ch, Zahid Rafique Bhatti, Qamar Zaman Bhatti, Rizwan Khalid, Khwaja Naseer, Mehboob Ahmed, Imran Sheikh and Bilal Ghauri participated in the meeting.

The News

They were speaking at a protest demonstration, held under the banner of Life Members Forum of Lahore Press Club at the LPC here. The participants raised slogans in favour of Hamid Mir, Jang/Geo and independence of media.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Liaquat Baloch, Senior Journalist Munno Bhai, Hussain Naqi, LPC President Arshad Ansari, Secretary Muhammad Shahbaz Mian, Member Islamic Ideological Council and Vice President of Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadit Allama Zubair Ahmed Zaheer, Allama Kazim Aftab Naqvi, senior journalists including Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Bedar Bakhat Butt, Khalid Farooqui, Maqsood Butt, Imtiaz Rashid, Irshad Ahmed Arif, Allama Siddique Azhar, senior actor Masud Akhtar, Taseer Mustafa, Farooq Chohan, Babar Waseem and others also spoke on the occasion.

Liaquat Baloch said his party had condemned the attack on Hamid Mir on the very first day and the Jamaat stance had not been changed even today. He said the attack on Hamid Mir was the attack on the independence of media, adding that powerful forces had given the media a strong message by attacking the renowned anchor of the country. He said the media had played very crucial role for democracy and independent judiciary and at this time all were standing with the journalist community.

The senior JI leader further said roles of the state institutions have been defined in the constitution and action should be taken against all those who violate them. Baloch said every institute should work within its constitutional framework. He demanded that Judicial Commission, formed to probe Hamid Mir case, should unveil the culprits who carried out the attack on senior anchorperson.

Liaquat Baloch said the country was facing multiple issues including peace talks, tussle between state institutions and Balochistan crisis at this time and the government should play a positive role in calming down the situation. He said his party would stand with journalist community if their economic murder was committed by taking action against Jang/Geo at this time.

Allama Zubair Ahmed Zaheer said no one would succeed in suppressing Jang/Geo saying his party would stand with the largest media house as it had paid heavy price for democracy, independence of judiciary and the media. He said the whole nation loves and respects the Army but the armed forces should also respect other institutions of the state.

Khawar Naeem Hashmi said if Jang/Geo was banned then democracy and journalism would also be sent packing in the country adding that the journalist community would resist every such move with full force.

Arshad Ansari said the community would not allow any one to ban Jang/Geo and would resist any move leading towards economic murder of journalists. He said attack on Hamid Mir was the attack on the whole media. He said journalist community would stand united to maintain their freedom.

Irshad Ahmed Arif said dictators like Ayub had also taken actions against some newspapers and the remaining newspapers supported those actions and the same practice was continuing in the country after six decades. He said media houses should not involve in such petty issues just to settle scores.

Our Bahawalpur Correspondent adds: Bahawalpur Union of Journalists staged a demonstration and lit candles for freedom of press at Fawwara Chowk here on Thursday.

The participants vowed that they would not allow anyone to close down Jang Group of Newspapers and Geo News channel. They were addressed by Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) central vice-president Ameen Abbasi, Bahawalpur Union of Journalists President Majeed Gill, Zahid Khan, Zahid Ali Khan and Imran Bhinder. Later, PPP District Information Secretary Muhammad Saleem Bhatti, along with many other socio-political activists, joined the demonstration.

The News

The participants said that over two weeks have passed but Hamid Mir attackers have not been arrested yet. They expressed their concerns that instead of arresting the attackers, cases are being registered against journalists. They demanded immediate withdrawal of case against Amir Mir, saying such acts could not stop journalists from their right to freedom of expression. They vowed to foil every conspiracy against Jang/Geo on any pretext.

Among the participants were Zahid Rafique Bhatti, Qamaruz Zaman Bhatti, Rizwan Khalid, Punjab Union of Journalists President Waseem Farooq, senior journalist Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Mian Abid, Gohar Butt, Imran Ehsan, Waseem Babar, Umar Sharif, Abid Nawaz, etc.

The News

The participants observed a symbolic hunger strike camp outside the LPC against the murder attempt on senior anchorperson Hamid Mir and possible action against Geo News channel. They demanded the Punjab government adopt proper security measures for Jang/Geo offices. They said all those persons involved in the attack on Hamid Mir should be arrested and punished.

LPC President Arshad Ansari, Secretary Muhammad Shahbaz Mian, senior journalist Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Bedar Bakhat Butt, Pervaiz Bashir, Gohar Butt, Javed Farooqi, PPP leader Barrister Amer, spokesman for Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Asim Makhdoom, Awami Workers Party General Secretary Farooq Tariq, member civil society Abdullah Malik, Agha Rasheed of retired employees union of PTV, Christian leader Pervaiz Sahotra, EMRA President Asim Naseer, Moeen Azhar and a large number of journalists also participated in the hunger strike camp.

Addressing the participants, Arshad Ansari said it was highly condemnable that 10 days had passed since the murder attempt on Hamid Mir but culprits had not been arrested. He said until attackers were not arrested, strike camp of journalist community would continue.

He said from April 30, members of all press clubs of the country would reach Lahore and the whole community would organise rallies and protest demonstrations for four consecutive days from May 1. Arshad Ansari also condemned in strongest words besieging of Jang/Geo offices in different cities of the country.

Others participants said conspiracies were being hatched on daily basis to curb Geo but the whole journalist community stands united with the channel to foil all such attempts.

The News

LPC President Arshad Ansari, LPC Secretary Muhammad Shahbaz Mian, Joint Secretary Farzana Ch, senior journalist Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Shafiq Awan, Wasif Nagi, LPC Governing Body Member Qamaruz Zaman Bhatti, Imran Sheikh, Punjab Union of Journalist President Waseem Farooq, Imtiaz Rashid, Gohar Butt, Maqsood Butt, Javed Farooqi, Maqsood Awan, Mian Abid, Zulfiqar Ali Mehto, Waseem Babar, Advocate Malik Feroz and other lawyers participated in the camp set up under the banner of the Lahore Press Club.

Addressing the participants, Arshad Ansari said it was highly condemnable that nine days had passed since the murderous attempt on Hamid Mir, but the culprits were still at large. He announced that till the attackers were not arrested, their strike camp would continue. He said the journalists community would not tolerate any action against the Geo TV for the cause of the freedom of expression. He said the economic murder of media workers could not be allowed. He said the whole community would stand by all journalists and media houses in testing times. He said from April 30, the members of all press clubs of the country would reach Lahore and the whole community would organise rallies and demonstrations for four consecutive days from May 1.

He said conspiracies were being hatched on a daily basis to curb the Geo but the journalists community stood united with the Geo to foil all such attempts. He said a rally would be organised on May 2 in favour of the freedom of expression and a procession would proceed on May 3 from the Lahore Press Club to the Punjab Assembly.

Shahbaz Mian said the journalists community was not divided on the issue of Hamid Mir and would foil all conspiracies in this regard.

Punjab Bar Council Member Malik Sarwar said journalists and lawyers had supported each other in strengthening democracy in the country and the same would be continued in future as well.

Forum for International Relations and Development Chairman Taha Qureshi said the media had paid a heavy price for the sake of democracy and no one could curb its freedom. He said his organisation would not support any action against the Geo TV.

Our Peshawar Correspondent adds: The newly elected body of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) on Monday termed the attack on the Geo News anchor Hamid Mir as an assault on the freedom of the press and asked the government to arrest the assailants forthwith.

PHCBA newly elected Secretary General Muhammad Ayaz Khan told The News that the Jang Group had played a historic role for the independence of the judiciary and restoration of democracy.

“After the successful lawyers’ movement, all of us including the media, civil society and lawyers were under attack on various fronts. The media had given full support to the lawyers’ movement and now lawyers would stand by the media in this difficult time,” he added.

PHCBA’s new President Muhammad Isa Khan said that freedom of the press was the need of the hour, but freedom of expression should be under the law and as per the Constitution. He said unlawful acts of the government against freedom of the press were not acceptable.

About his newly elected team’s work plan, he said his first priority would be to establish good working and cordial relations between the bar and the bench. He said the cause list in the PHC was too long and sometime cases were adjourned without hearing.

“My effort would be to reduce the cause list so that there is enough time to hear each case,” he said, adding that important and urgent cases should be heard in one or two days. He said due to the backlog of work the vital cases were also fixed for hearing in a week or two.

He said the lawyers in the provincial capital were facing car parking problem, lack of bar rooms and various unresolved legal issues with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council.

He said he would try to stop pre-poll rigging in the PHCBA election. He claimed that in every election the presidential and other candidates deposit the membership fee of the voters that is in thousands.

“I would try to issue lifetime PHCBA membership. It would not only end pre-poll rigging, but also eliminate the stigma from the lawyers of defaulting on payment of dues,” he said. He added that the new body would also try to discourage the role of non-practicing lawyers in the bar associations.

Ayaz Khan, the PHCBA general secretary, said he would try to introduce a system of assistance to the families of those lawyers who became handicapped or their practice was affected due to illness.

In the PHCBA election on Saturday, Muhammad Isa Khan, a presidential candidate of the Muttahida Lawyers Panel won by securing 684 votes. His rival Muzammil Khan, who was a joint candidate of the People’s Lawyers Forum (PLF) and the ANP-affiliated Malgari Wakeelan, got 616 votes.

Muhammad Ayaz Khan, the joint candidate of PLF and Malgari Wakeelan won the election as secretary general by obtaining 583 votes. His rival Hazrat Said got 376 votes.

Jamal Afridi, the candidate of Muttahida Lawyers Forum won the election as vice president by securing 607 votes. He defeated Irshad Ahmad Durrani who got 443 votes. Kashif Jan was elected as the joint secretary by obtaining 732 votes. His rival Imad Anjum Durrani got 523 votes.

Wajid Hussain won election for the office of finance secretary by getting 736 votes. Ziaul Hassan was elected the press secretary. A female lawyer, Gul Naz won election as member of the executive committee with 372 votes.

The News

They vowed to foil any conspiracy against freedom of expression and demanded the immediate arrest of the elements involved in the attack on Hamid Mir.

At a seminar ‘Geo ki Bandish Na Manzoor’ (Banning Geo is unacceptable) at the Lahore Press Club, the speakers expressed the resolve to safeguard media freedom and leave no stone unturned for achieving the cause.

The major speakers on the occasion included Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore leader Ameer-ul-Azeem, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari, Sarwar Malik Advocate and senior journalists including Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Bedar Bakht Butt, Maqsood Butt, Sabir Shah, Salman Ghani, Naseem Qureshi, Latif Chaudhry, Gohar Butt, Amjad Warraich, Bakht Geer Chaudhry, Rizwan Razi, Omar Sharif, Eesar Rana, Waseem Farooq, Wasif Nagi, Shahbaz Mian and Anjum Fayyaz.

They paid rich tributes to senior journalist Hamid Mir while describing him as the voice of the nation and said the entire nation stood with him.

They also stated that the event was a vote against any move to curb media freedom and impose restrictions on Geo News which were not acceptable under any pretext.

The News

Carrying placards, they condemned life threats to senior photographer Azhar Jafri and his family as well as to the Lahore Press Club (LPC). The pointed that alleged Harbanspura unit of LJ had dropped some threatening pamphlets at the residence of Azhar Jafri at Journalists Colony. This was in addition to threatening wall chalking on the walls of his residence.

Later, identical pamphlets were also dropped at the Lahore Press Club, threatening to blow up the building.

Addressing the rally, Arshad Ansari, LPC president, said that the club had received threatening telephone calls and letters recently. “The police have duly been informed and the government will be held responsible for any individual or collective loss of life or property,” he said and demanded: “All those journalists under threat be provided protection.”

Other speakers included known journalists IA Rehman, Imtiaz Alam and PUJ President Rana Azeem. They maintained that the ulema should come forward to check the menace of sectarianism. They warned that if sectarian killings continued, no one would be safe in this country.

The resolved that no organization would be allowed to hijack hard-earned freedom of the press. Attack on any individual journalist would be considered attack on the entire community and profession.

The rally held at Shimla Hill roundabout was joined by representatives of Federal Union of Journalists, Punjab Union of Journalists, Photo Journalists Association, South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA), Punjab Assembly Press Gallery, Electronic Media Reporters Association, Electronic Cameramen Association, Punjab Electronic Media Journalists Association, Women Workers Help Line and other organisations.

Source: Dawn