LAHORE: \u201cThe kinds of threats journalists face today cannot be fought by individuals\u2026we have to fight them together. And yet, when there is an attack on one media house, other media houses remain silent. It is not only the government\u2019s responsibility to provide security to journalists, the media must unite on this front as well,\u201d columnist Ejaz Haider said on Sunday at a protest rally condemning terrorist threats to South Asian Free Media Association Secretary General Imtiaz Alam.<\/p>\n
Several journalists and civil society representatives gathered in front of the Lahore Press Club on Sunday. They held banners carrying slogans like Ban Media Coverage of Terrorists Collectively; Freedom of Expression Under Threat; and Attack on One Attack on All. Shouts of \u201cNot scared of threats!\u201d rang through the crowd of protesters. They chanted slogans and vowed to continue fighting for freedom of the press. \u201cStop threatening journalists, we want peace,\u201d the participants said in unison.<\/p>\n
Hussain Naqi said the government must realise that it is not only the journalists\u2019 freedoms on the line, \u201cit\u2019s all of us\u2026it\u2019s the state on the line\u201d. He said it was time the nation got together and rejected terrorists once and for all. Pakistan achieved independence through the struggle and sacrifices of reporters, photojournalists and editors\u2026the government of the Punjab must provide them security.
\n\u201cThe struggle for the freedom of press in the subcontinent is more than 150 years old\u2026it will continue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMilitant groups can\u2019t stop us from doing our duties as journalists. Journalism is our vocation and I strongly condemn the threats to Imtiaz Alam,\u201d said Najam Sethi. \u201cWe must forget personal differences and professional rivalries and work together for the freedom of press.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lahore Press Club secretary Shahbaz Mian said, \u201cOnce again, cowardly terrorists and militants scared of the pen and the camera have threatened Imtiaz Alam. A few days ago, they attacked our fellow journalist Raza Rumi. They are ganging up against liberal and progressive journalists\u2026now all of them are on their hit list. But we will remain united and won\u2019t surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n
Journalist Ahmed Waleed said Pakistan was one of the most dangerous countries for journalists to be in. \u201cWe are here to express solidarity with journalists who are threatened but continue doing their job.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is so uncivilised, columnist Kamran Shafi said, \u201cTerrorists should agree to a dialogue with media representatives. They can try to convince us, or write about their views instead of resorting to threats. But if they want to kill us, so be it, we are not scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fawad Chaudhry, media adviser to the Pakistan Peoples Party chairman, said, \u201cIf we want to make Pakistan a liberal and progressive country, we have to work for it together. On behalf of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the PPP, I strongly condemn the terrorists\u2019 threats to journalist and SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chaudhry said Zardari and he had also received threats. \u201cWe are all threatened on a daily basis but we will continue to work for a progressive Pakistan and will not stop till we reach our destiny.\u201d<\/p>\n
Punjab Union of Journalists president Wasim Farooq, Lahore Press Club president Arshad Ansari and Riaz Durrani of Jamat-i-Ulema Islam also spoke at the occasion and urged the government to provide security to journalists.<\/p>\n