Jang Group affair: PPP MPAs stage demo against govt's action
By our correspondent
KARACHI: The PPP MPAs, lead by their deputy parliamentary leader Pir Mazharul Haq, held a demonstration on the stairs of the entrance of Sindh Assembly building to protest government actions against Jang Group of Newspapers.
Talking to newsmen, Mazhar declared the government actions totally illegal and unconstitutional. He said the group was being punished for exposing corruption of government functionaries. Earlier, speaking on a point of order in the Sindh Assembly session Jam Saifullah Dharejo of the PPP said Saifur Rehman and Nawaz Sharif were pressuring the group's editor-in-chief not to publish news and statements hitting the government's policies.
PPP demo: Leaders and workers of PPP Karachi Division staged a demonstration at Karachi Press Club on Monday to express solidarity with the press and Jang Group. The party activists condemned the government's victimisation policies and assured full support to the Editor-in-Chief of Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.
SBC expresses concern: The Sindh Bar Council (SBC) has expressed concern over the curbs and restrictions imposed by the government on the printing and publication of newspapers. In a statement on Monday, the SBC members stated that the actions of Chief Ehtesab Commissioner Senator Saifur Rehman and Information Minister Mushahid Hussain against the chief executive, directors and staff of Jang Group of Newspapers were prejudicial based on malafide intentions.
PTI slates action: The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) will resist the government's action against freedom of the press and Jang Group. This was announced by PTI Sindh on Monday after the meeting of party media committee chaired by its president Dr Arif Alvi. The PTI also constituted a 12-member media committee headed by Media Coordinator Sindh Najeeb Haroon to establish close contact with the press.
Report sent to UN: Lawyers Committee for Human Rights Pakistan, in a statement on Monday, disclosed that it has sent a report to the United Nations and the US Senate regarding the crisis of Jang Group. The committee informed that it had sent a detailed report to the UN Human Rights Department, Amnesty International, Asia Watch, International Peace Bureau and NGOs in 40 countries.