Rallies against victimisation of Jang Group
By our correspondents
JACOBABAD: A protest rally of journalists and newspaper hawkers of Jacobabad was taken out on Tuesday as journalists of Nawabshah strongly condemned government's intimidation of the Jang Group of Newspapers.
The Jacobabad rally was led by President, District Union of Journalists, Balam Brohi and senior newsman Mukesh Ropeta. The rally was taken out despite the hindrances and heavy pressure of the district administration.It condemned victimisation of Jang Group of Newspapers, and government's steps aimed at crushing the freedom of the press.
The protest rally started from the Press Club Jacobabad and passed through different roads of the city before returning to the Press Club. The journalists and hawkers carried placards and banners inscribed with the slogans against the Nawaz government. The participants chanted slogans against the government and urged it to end the victimisation of the largest group of publications of the country.
Addressing the participants of the rally Balam Brohi, Mukesh Ropeta, Pervaiz Abro, Alim Khoso and Amir Bux Bhatti strongly the government's excesses on the Jang Group . The speakers said the PML-N government cannot suppress the freedom of the press, and cannot subdue the journalists. They demanded of the government to stop victimisation against the Jang Group and release its newsprint.
In Nawabshah, President Nawabshah Union of Journalists Muhammad Anwar Shaikh, President Press Club Nawabshah Jamaluddin Bhatti, senior journalists Arshad Munir, Saleh Bilu, Abdul Tayyab Shaikh, Faiz Muhammad, Ahmed Zia and Muhammad Akbar strongly condemned the campaign of the government-controlled electronic media against the Jang and The News.
They said the government would have to end its victimisation of the Jang Group as a result of the countrywide struggle against it. They said that harassing the print media, specially the Jang Group, was an attempt to suppress the voice of truth. They said that the government wanted to conquer the press through Ehtesab Bureau chief Saifur Rehman.
The purpose of the campaign against the press is to divert the attention of the people from the failure of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to solve the problems of the people, they said. They said the PML-N government was destabilising the country through its wrong economic policies. They said the struggle to protect the freedom of the press would continue .
Similarly, Under the aegis of daily Jang Hyderabad bureau, a protest rally was taken out as a mark of protest against the victimisation of Jang Group of Newspapers by the government. The participants of the rally included the workers and leaders of the political parties, different organisations, journalists and workers of the newspaper industry. They condemned government's action against the press.
The rally started from Universal Chowk, where a large number of political leaders, representatives of various organisations and journalists had gathered. The protesters marched through Station Road, Haider Chowk, Garikhata, Risala Road and reached Hyderabad Press Club.
At the press club, the speakers in their speeches, termed the victimization against the Jang Group as an 'attack' on the freedom of the press. They criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Senator Saif-ur-Rehman for their actions against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and the Jang Group of Newspapers. "In an attempt to eliminate any criticism or opposition, the government has resorted to unfair means against the press. If the government wants to hold accountability, it should use fair means, not the vindictive ones," the speakers said.
Participants of the rally unanimously adopted different resolutions demanding immediate restoration of advertisements to the Jang Group, release of its newsprint, defreezing of its bank accounts and withdrawal of cases against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Those who spoke on the occasion included Jam Saqi, Sagheer Qureshi, Shagufta Jummani (PPP) Haji Asmatullah Khan (ANP) Syed Afzal Ahmed Shah (Akhbar Faroosh Federation).