Hyderabad journalists take out rally against Jang victimisation
By our correspondent
HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Press Club in collaboration with the Hyderabad bureau of The News on organised a seminar on 'Freedom of press in the existing scenario' on Wednesday. The participants of the seminar deplored the government excesses against the Jang Group.
They strongly demanded of the government to end the victimisation campaign launched by it against the Jang Group. Earlier, the journalists, press workers, photographers and hawkers took out a protest rally under the aegis of the Hyderabad Press Club.
The protesters carrying banners and placards shouted slogans against Saif-ur-Rehman. The rally was fully backed by the people from all shades of the society. Meanwhile, at a seminar, senior journalists, representatives of various professional media bodies, expressed solidarity with the Jang Group and vowed to continue their struggle against all government pressures.
The speakers of the seminar made fiery speeches and criticised the attitude of the rulers against the newspapers and the journalist community. President of Hyderabad Press Club (HPC) Ali Hassan recalled the fall of East-Pakistan and maintained that if the freedom of press had existed at that time, then we could have not faced such a huge tragedy. He said now the whole world was like a global village and in the era of computerization and Internet no government could conceal the truth.
The seminar unanimously adopted a resolution, saying that the journalist community and political parties believe that the freedom of press is actually the freedom of expression, guaranteed in the Constitution. Later, the participants of the seminar demanded of the government to immediately quell all its actions against the Jang Group. It also demanded abolition of the Information Department and all provincial and federal departments related to it, saying it is like a sword hanging over the heads of media.
The participants of the also adopted various resolutions unanimously. The seminar demanded for the restoration of Press and Publication Ordinance 1998 and end to the implementation on the Ordinance 1963 imposed through dictatorship. It also demanded to eliminate all those ordinances which hurt the freedom of press.
This seminar demanded the repromulgation of Freedom of Information Ordinance, which was imposed by the caretaker government in 1996. But said it should be presented in shape of a bill in the National Assembly. It is also said the Pakistan Television Corporation be freed from state occupation and free private channels be allowed to be work.