FAISALABAD, April 15: Political leaders, representatives of NGOs, journalists’ associations and office-bearer of trade bodies have said that the police torture of journalists showed that the government was trying to impose the president on the people, and taking negative steps to prolong its rule.

PPP’s Punjab Secretary-General Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan said that Iqbal Stadium incident had exposed the true face of army rulers who wanted to complete all tasks at gunpoint.

The government would have to pay the price of the police torture of journalists and PPP would support all movements launched by them against this brutality of the law enforcers on the orders of the Punjab governor.

He urged the international community to take notice of the incident.

The vice-president of the Punjab PML(N) and former MNA, Chaudhry Safdar Rahman, demanded that a judge of the high court should be appointed for conducting inquiry and fixing responsibility of the incident.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s City Amir Mahboob Zaman Butt said that the incident would play a role in downfall of the Musharraf government.

Pakistan Awami Tehrik leaders Rana Nisar Shahzad and advocate Muzammal Raza said the baton-charge on newsmen was an attack on the freedom of press.

Anjuman Tajiran president Sheikh Taj Mahmood and other local trade leaders also condemned the brutality of police. They demanded immediate and stern action against the police officials concerned.

Office-bearers of various NGOs and representatives of journalists’ associations asked President Musharraf not to adopt negative steps to prolong his rule.

They vowed to launch a countrywide movement to protest against the incident if the government did not take action against police officials concerned and Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool.

Meanwhile, Faisalabad Range DIG Talat Mahmood has directed the SP (crimes range) to hold an inquiry into the incident.