LAHORE/KARACHI/QUETTA – Journalists staged protest demonstrations and observed Black Day across the country on Saturday to condemn the resolution passed by the Punjab Assembly against media.
Forceful rallies were taken out by journalists in almost all cities and towns including Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi, Sukkur, Peshawar, Quetta, Sargodha, Jhelum, Taxila, Attock, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Chiniot, Rehim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Hyder-abad, Abbottabad, Nawabs-hah, Badin, Dera Ghazi Khan, Chaman, Nasirabad besides Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley and Mirpur in Azad Kashmir.
A demonstration was held outside the National Press Club in Islamabad where the office-bearers of journalistsÂ’ bodies of the twin cities raised their voice against gaggling tactics. The participants chanted slogans against the Punjab government, demanding withdrawal of the resolution against media.
The call for protest and black day was given by Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) which had taken exception to the said resolution and stated that it was a calculated move to divert attention from the real issues confronting the country.
In Lahore, a large number of media men gathered in front of Punjab Assembly to record their protest against the resolution. Leaders of political and religious parties and NGOs also joined the protest to express solidarity with the journalists.
Speakers on the occasion pledged to continue the protests till withdrawal of the said resolution, saying it was their duty to make the public aware of the facts.
Participants were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the Punjab government.
Speaking on the occasion, President Council of Newspaper Editors (CPNE) Khushnood Ali Khan said the CPNE was with the journalists and the Council has decided not to hold dialogue with Punjab government over the issue and their simple demand was to withdraw the resolution. He said that journalists should boycott the ceremonies and programmes held under the aegis of the Punjab government.
President of Punjab Assembly Press Gallery, Zaheer Shahzad said the resolution was like a drone attack on media men. Parliamentarians called names to the journalists and disgraced them but no action was taken against them so far, he said.
He said they would not join any committee formed by the Punjab government in this regard. He said the meeting would be held on Monday (tomorrow) to chalk out future strategy for the protest programme.
Secretary General of the Lahore Press Club Ziaullah Niazi said the resolution was condemnable and rulers had tried to scare the media men but they would not be cowed down.
He demanded of the government to take action against bogus degrees holders and recover the money from them, which they had drawn from the national exchequer.
Chairman APNEC Nasir Naqvi said the resolution had been passed only to hush up the issues like bogus degrees, price-hike and unemployment.
He said the Punjab government had issued no show-cause notice to the responsible persons so far.
Rai Husnain, President of PUJ, said it was duty of the media to inform the people about the critical facts of the society like bogus degrees of the Parliamentarians. Punjab government should take action against those who had been involved in bogus degrees rather than media.
Secretary General of PUJ Rana Azeem and President, Lahore Press Club Sarmad Bashir also spoke on the occasion.
Those who joined media men to express solidarity with journalists included Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamiat-i-Ulema-e-Islam, PML(Q) and other parties.
The media union leaders, blasted the movers of the resolution and said they did not want merit to prevail in the entire spectrum of the country.
The movers of the resolution also wants to subjugate the media so that the real voice of the people might remain gagged and privileged might continue to enjoy all sorts of facilities although illegally.
Meanwhile, the journalists chanted slogans against Punjab government and blocked the Mall Road for traffic.
The journalists community of Karachi took out a protest rally while observing Black Day against the resolution passed in the Punjab Assembly against the media.
Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) took out a rally from Press Club to Sindh Assembly building. The civil society and others also attended the rally.
The protesters were carrying placards inscribed with slogans against the resolution and Punjab government. They staged sit-in outside Assembly building.
When the rally reached the building, Sindh Information Minister Jameel Soomro, MQM leaders and MNA Haidar Abbas Rizvi and MPA Khawaja Izharul Hassan and others joined the rally showing solidarity with the journalists.
KUJ President Khursheed Abbasi, General Secretary Hassan Abbas, senior journalist Khursheed Tanveer, President of Karachi Press Club Imtiaz Ahmed Faran and others addressed the rally.
The speakers strongly denounced the resolution of Punjab Assembly and termed it an attempt against free and independent media. They alleged the Punjab govt had passed the said resolution to divert peopleÂ’s attention from big issues like bomb blasts at Data Darbar, violation of IRSA agreement, fake degrees issue and many other such issues.
They urged the Punjab Assembly to withdraw the resolution and also appealed other political parties including PPP to play their role in this regard.
Meanwhile, MQM leaders assured the journalists that they would table a resolution in Sindh Assembly to condemn the resolution.
Meanwhile, activists of Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) staged a demonstration outside Press Club to protest against the passage of a resolution in Punjab Assembly against the media.
The protesters carrying placards inscribed with different demands chanted slogans against the Punjab government and demanded immediate withdrawal of the resolution.
Addressing on the occasion, BUJ President Abdul Khaliq Rind and others strongly condemned the move and said the resolution was an attempt to suppress the media.
They vowed not to be succumbed to any pressure, saying they would continue to inform the people about the realities.