Jang Group's decision to abolish contractual system hailed
By our correspondent
QUETTA: The journalists community of Balochistan observed 'black day' on Tuesday on the call of the PFUJ and the APNEC.A large number of journalists and newspapers' employees took to streets of the provincial metropolis demanding of the newspapers' owners to abolish the contractual system in newspapers industry. The protesters marched through various roads and streets in the city while carrying placard inscribed with slogans against the contractual system in the newspapers and demanded its abolishment.
The speakers, however, hailed the steps of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, Editor-in-Chief of Jang Group of Newspapers, to abolish the contractual system from the Jang Group and hoped that the owners of other newspapers would also follow suit. Regarding government actions against the Jang group, the speakers termed the government actions as "unlawful" and "unconstitutional," and added that the government had violated the orders of Supreme Court by stopping the newsprint of Jang Group in Rawalpindi.
They said that the Jang Group was being victimised for waging a crusade against the 'undemocratic and corrupt' policies of the government. They said that it was a matter of 'shame' that government had targetted the Jang Group as its rival. They observed that the newspapers were being punished for not taking the dictates of the government. They expressed the hope that the government would fail in its nefarious designs to muzzle the press.
They said that if the press was cowed down this time, then no one would be left to defend the freedom of expression and press. They said that all workers associated with the media should come out for frustrating the designs of the government. The speakers also castigated Chairman Ehtesab Bureau Saifur Rahman, saying that he (Saif) was doing 'every thing' except 'accountability' in the country, and demanded his dismissal.