Karachi: Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon directed the inspector-general of the Sindh police and the Karachi police chief to take stern action against elements involved in torturing journalists outside the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) on Saturday.

A handout quoted him as saying that the government would not allow any sort of restriction on the freedom of journalists, and people involved in the torture incident would be taken to task without any discrimination.

It said that as media reports emerged regarding police personnel in civvies resorting to manhandling newsmen, especially cameramen, the outside high court premises, the minister contacted the Sindh and Karachi police chiefs and secured information about the incident.

Memon said the PPP had always believed in the media freedom and held high its cause whether it was democratic or autocratic rule in the country.

He said the PPP had never tried to stifle the voice of media as in fact it was the party, which rendered maximum sacrifices for freedom of media. He said that PPP would always be at the forefront for the cause of freedom of media.

The News

The post Sharjeel orders stern action over torture of journalists appeared first on Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

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

The demonstration, led by Lawyers Forum District President Muhammad Azhar Khan Mughal, was held on High Court Bar Association premises. PML-N Multan President Muhammad Bilal Butt and others attended the demonstration. The demonstrators, carrying placards, raised slogans against civil disobedience announcement and torture of journalists.

The speakers said Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri were bent on blocking the journey to democracy and progress in the country and asked the government to not to succumb to
illegal demands of the PTI and PAT.

The News