Civil society members demonstrate against media restrictions
Visit LPC, Geo TV protest camps; express solidarity with journalists
LAHORE: Civil society continues to air its displeasure and register strong protest over curbs on the basic human rights, gagging of the media and the unjust closure of the Geo Television Network.
Hundreds of civil society representatives, including judges, lawyers, human rights activists, media persons, doctors and other significant members of the society, staged protest demonstrations at various places on Sunday.
In this regard, these men and women of the society converged at a very significant place, carefully chosen to remind the rulers about the pledges of the past. They included Justice (retd) Dr Nasira Javaid Iqbal, Justice (retd) Jawad Khawaja, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Bushra Aitizaz, the wife of Ch Aitizaz Ahsan, and a renowned human rights activist, scores of well-known lawyers, doctors, intellectuals, media personalities, students, and renowned people from different walks of life, who gathered at the Hazoori Bagh in front of the Badshahi Mosque and Dr Allama Iqbal's mausoleum.
They staged a protest against the state of affairs in the country for which Dr Allama Iqbal spent the best years of his life. These members of the civil society chanted slogans against the policies of the present government and demanded restoration of the judiciary, democracy and the independence of the media in Pakistan.
Holding the national flags high above their heads in one hand and protest banners in the other, they marched in a circle on the roads around the Hazoori Bagh while raising anti-government slogans.
Later, the protesters visited the Lahore Press Club and the protest camp in front of the Geo TV office to express solidarity with the suppressed media and the illegal curbs on Geo Television Network. In their comments recorded on this occasion, all the renowned and conscious members of our society expressed their anger and utter disappointment over the unjust, illegal and illogical acts of the government being carried out against the will of the people and the Constitution of the country.
The protesting members of the civil society stayed with the already protesting media men and women at the Lahore Press Club’s journalists protest camp and then went to the Geo Television Network’s Lahore Office protest camp at 13 Davis Road.
A complete solidarity was assured by these members of the civil society with Geo Television Network's employees and they raised slogans against the government and demanded lifting of the ban on the Geo Network's remaining channels, which are still closed.
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