October 28, 2003	Tuesday	Ramazan 1, 1424

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SUKKUR, Oct 27: A convention of journalists of Sindh held at the Sukkur Press Club on Sunday adopted several resolutions, demanding protection to the people engaged in the profession and fair investigation into the murder case of Ameer Bakhsh Brohi.

The convention expressed concern that certain pressure groups and agencies were harassing journalists.

It deplored that Shahid Soomro was killed in Kandhkot and, because of their investigative reporting, Fayaz Mangi of Larkana and Sukkur’s Liaqat Leghari were also being issued with life threats.

It regretted that newspaper owners had failed to come to the help of journalists. It also criticized the government for not providing journalists with protection.

The convention dispelled the government claim of freedom of press, saying there were at least 12 anti-press laws which were used by successive governments for promoting their interests.

It said being the fourth pillar of the state, democratic and constitutional role of the press should be recognized and laws against the press freedom be repealed.

The resolutions said access to information should be ensured as a legal right of the people and contract system in newspapers be abolished.

It criticized the role of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society which, it said, had adopted a cosmetic approach by framing the so-called code of ethics, used by its members for promoting their interests.

It also called for early implementation of the Seventh Wage Board Award, saying the owners had increased advertisement rates by 100 per cent but were reluctant to implementing the award.

Speaking on the occasion, leaders of the PFUJ and the KUJ said the incidents of the killing of Shahid Soomro and Ameer Brohi had been brought into the notice of President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and world organizations.

They regretted that two Sindhi dailies had stopped their workers from attending the convention.

The convention was attended by over 500 journalists from all over Sindh. Prominent participants were Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists president Ahfazur Rehman and Karachi Union of Journalists president Qamarullah Chaudry. Sukkur Press Club president Shamim Shamsi presided over the function.