Protest against curbs on media continues
ISLAMABAD: President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Imran Khan Monday termed lawyers, journalists and civil societies’ struggle against regime in Pakistan as the second biggest since Independence.
He was addressing a large gathering on the 45th day of the protest camp organised by Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) at the camp office of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club at Melody.
“The corrupt regime in Pakistan does not want the independent media and judiciary,” Imran said. “Journalists are not only fighting for the freedom of press, they are fighting for the independence of 160 million people of Pakistan,” he added.
Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Mazhar Abbas said that it was shocking that the chairman Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (Pemra), members of its Board of Governors and the secretary Ministry of Information all were unaware that why private television channels were shut down.
“The members of Board of Governors of Pemra during their meeting on Sunday said that they had no idea from where this decision of shutting down private television channels had come,” Mazhar said.
The secretary PFUJ said that private channels were shut down because they were showing facts to the people of Pakistan. “We (PFUJ) have decided to continue our fight for the freedom of press and will organise a long march when parliament’s first session will be held,” Mazhar said.
President RIUJ Afzal Butt said that it was unfortunate that despite journalists’ struggle of one and a half months, the government is not doing anything. “In the past too governments tried to put curbs on media through various ordinances, but they didn’t succeed,” Butt said.
“We are not terrorists, but we, the journalists, are the custodians of people’s rights,” he added.General Secretary RIUJ Ashfaq Sajid, Shahryar Khan and other journalists including Kashif Abbasi, Abdul Subookh Syed, Umar Riaz Abbasi, Irfan Malik, Qurban Satti, Asim Rana, Aslam Butt and Asif Kiyani also addressed the audience.Protest camp incharges Asif Kiyani and Aslam Butt informed that the camp will continue during the two Eid-ul-Azha holidays.
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