CPPC Convener Arshad Ansari said crackers attacks on DSNGs during event coverage showed poor security arrangements. PFUJ Vice President Mudassir Khan, PUJ President Waseem Farooq Shahid, senior journalist Deen Muhammad Dard, Pervez Altaf, Shadab Riaz, Ghulam Mujtaba Bajwa, Nasira Attique, Attiya Zaidi, Marwa Ansar Chaudhry, Hafiz Rizwanul Haq, Shabbir Hussain Toori and Comrade Zawwar Hussain address the protestors.

Protest demonstrations against crackers attacks were also held in Faisalabad and Gujranwala. In Gujranwala, the demonstration was led by Press Club President Tariq Munir Butt. Others who attended the demonstration were senior journalist Muhammad Akram Malik, Dr Umar Naseer, Mirza Iqbal, Raja Habib, Rana Ansar Shahzad, Ghulam Fareed Sandhu and others.

In Faisalabad, print and electronic media employees organised a protest rally from Press Club to Kutchery Bazaar, which culminated at Zila Council Chowk. News Cameramen Association General Secretary Nasir Malik, senior journalists Hassam Qazi Mian Munawar and Muhammad Shafiq addressed the rally.

Our Correspondent adds from Bahawalpur: On the call of the PFUJ, the Bahawalpur Union of Journalists members staged a demonstration against increasing attacks on journalists, particularly on cameramen of electronic media and DSNGs of various channels in Islamabad recently.

The protesters, led by PFUJ Vice-President Muhammad Ameen Abbasi, chanted slogans against the attacks at Chowk Fawara. Addressing the protesters, Ameen Abbasi said violence against media men and particularly against the country’s largest media group ‘Jang Group’ was not tolerable. He asked the government to take concrete steps for protection of journalists and media-related staffers.

The News

The demand was made through a resolution that was passed at the conclusion of a protest jointly held here by the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) and National Press Club (NPC). It was largely attended by members of human and civil society organisations.

Addressing the participants of the protest, NPC President Shahrayar Khan said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri had been constantly inciting their workers that finally resulted in attacks on Geo News and PTV for which both of them should apologise to the workers of these organisations and the people as well.

The speakers who spoke on the occasion included NPC General Secretary Tariq Chaudhry, RIUJ President Ali Raza Alvi, RIUJ General Secretary Bilal Dar, Geo News Bureau Chief Rana Jawad, PTV MD Muhammad Mallick, cricket commentator Ehtashamul Haq, Waseem Farooq of the Punjab Union of Journalists, Farzana Bari and Naeem Mirza.

They said the workers of PTI and PAT attacked the Geo offices 25 times and its workers in the last 18 days and dozens of journalists were brutally tortured by the policemen in the Red Zone area that is really unfortunate in the country where every one talks about freedom of expression.

“The leadership of PTI and PAT and the interior minister should offer apology otherwise the journalists’ community would be left with no other option except to register cases against them. The journalists show the truth to the people so those who target and torture them are those who want to hide facts for their personal reasons,” they said.

Meanwhile, the journalists and members of the civil society organizations also attended the “Pro-democracy” camp set up in front of the National Press Club (NPC) and urged the government to immediately evolve a joint political strategy to get rid of a group of few thousand people who are making vandalism in Red Zone area and annihilating the image of Pakistan in the comity of nations.

The News

Journalists set up camps and held meetings, wearing black ribbons and armbands. They also boycotted official functions.

Some buildings housing newspaper offices and television channels flew black flags.

According to the PFUJ, journalists in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Quetta, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, Bahawalpur, Multan, Gujranwala, Muzaffarabad and a number of other cities observed the day.

A delegation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) would visit Pakistan on Nov 19 on the invitation of the PFUJ to review the media situation.

PFUJ president Syed Huma Ali in a speech in Islamabad announced that the protest would continue until the journalists’ demands were accepted. These included the withdrawal of PEMRA and PPO Ordinances, restoration of transmission of all TV channels and FM radio networks, withdrawal of notices and cases against newspapers and journalists.

The PFUJ’s secretary-general, Mazhar Abbas, urged broadcasters not to sign PEMRA’s ‘code of ethics’ as it was aimed at suppressing the freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

KARACHI: Journalists wore black armbands during working hours on Friday. Their boycott of official functions will continue on Saturday also.

Minhaj Barna, a veteran trade unionist, chaired a meeting at the Karachi Press Club.

A unanimous resolution called for an immediate lifting of emergency, restoration of the Constitution, removal of restrictions on political activities and release of politicians, lawyers and journalists.

CPNE: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors Action Committee, headed by CPNE president Syed Fasih Iqbal, handed over a memorandum to the Sindh Governor on Friday.

Earlier, a CPNE meeting condemned the restrictions on media following the promulgation of emergency.

LAHORE: The Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) announced that its members would observe a two-hour token hunger strike from Saturday till the repeal of the Press and Publication Ordinance and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory ordinance.

DAWN

KARACHI: Attempts to attack media houses in Karachi were widely condemned by almost all sections of the society on Tuesday. The Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) condemned the instances of crackers hurled at the offices Business Recorder, and Nawa-e-Waqt Group and explosive material planted at the ARY channel head office in Karachi on Monday evening.

Citing these as attempts to engender a sense of insecurity among professionals and workers concerned, CPNE President Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami and Secretary General Dr Abdul Jabbar Khattak said in a joint statement on Tuesday that these could not harass the media.

They expressed solidarity with the targeted houses and reiterated the CPNE’s resolve to make no compromise vis-à-vis media freedom.They said the media would continue with its efforts to highlight the wrongs committed in any part of the country and protection of the rights of masses.

The CPNE office-bearers also demanded the government to ensure the early arrest of the killers of journalists besides providing required security to the media houses in the country.

Also, on the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the community throughout the country on Tuesday held demonstrations and rallies in order to protest against the attacks.

Giving the government an ultimatum, PFUJ President Rana Muhammad Azeem and Secretary General Amin Yousuf demanded that those responsible for the attacks should be arrested in the next 48 hours. He said after the passage of deadline, journalists would hold country-wide rallies.

In Lahore, journalists gathered at the Charing Cross in front of the Punjab Assembly to condemn the attacks on media houses.

The Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) Secretary Amir Sohail said such attacks could never terrorise the journalist community. Journalists also gathered outside the Karachi Press Club to condemn the terror attacks.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain condemned the attack and termed it an attack on the freedom of press.

Our Correspondent adds from Karachi: Various religious parties strongly condemned the attacks on the media by terrorists and demanded that police should make a complete investigation in this regard and arrest the culprits.

Jamaat-e-Islami, Sunni Tehrik and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimin termed the two attacks within 24 hours a complete failure of the government and said such acts of terrorism proves that there was no writ of the government.

The Tanzeem-e-Islami said the attacks were cowardly acts.Our correspondent adds from Lahore: The attacks show that media freedom is under serious assault, said Safma Secretary General Imtiaz Alam, President Nusrat Javeed and Media Commission-Pakistan General Secretary Babar Ayaz.

The News

Ejaz George, cameraman for “Capital TV” who received eye injury, told Pakistan Press Foundation that the scuffle started when he asked a party activist to provide him the way for coverage and stay a side. However, he said after the exchange of some harsh words between them the activist, who was carrying a party flag; hit him with the flag’s stick. The stick caused serious injury in his left eye lid and it started to bleed. Journalists rushed him to the hospital. He is in stable condition now, he said.

Many other reporters and cameramen also received minor injuries.

A large number of media persons gathered at Faisal Chowk in front of the Punjab Assembly to protest against the behavior of political party workers and stopped media coverage of the protest. They also boycotted the Punjab Assembly proceedings, demanding that strict action be taken against people responsible. Provincial Law minister immediately expressed solidarity and requested adjournment of the session till August 27. Speaking on the occasion, he said violence with the media representatives was very tragic. Media is an important pillar of the society. Those involved in this incident would be dealt according to the law.
Pervaiz Shaukat, president Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), and Amin Yusuf, the general secretary, also condemned violence by the workers of a political party against journalists and demanded of the government prompt action against culprits.

Members of Punjab Union of journalist (PUJ), Lahore Press Club and Punjab Assembly Press gallery continued their protest demonstration. Addressing on the occasion Arshad Ansari, president LPC announced his complete support and also announced a protest demonstration outside assembly at 10am on August 27. Meanwhile, PUJ has given a protest call for same day at 3pm at Faisal Chowk.

Later, Political party leaders, and Opposition Leaders in Punjab Assembly apologised to journalists. Expressing solidarity with them, the party leaders said they would conduct an inquiry into the incident and cancel the party membership of those linked to it.

Pakistan Press Foundation