15 January 2005	Saturday	04 Zilhaj 1425

LAHORE, Jan 14: Imamia Students Organization activists protesting against the assassination of Syed Agha Ziauddin Rizvi on Friday attacked the Lahore Press Club with brickbats injuring journalists and motorists and damaging their cars and club property in the presence of police.

Qila Gujjar Singh Police later registered a case and rounded up 148 students for attack on the club and injuring journalists under 16 MPO and Anti-terrorism Act.

The demonstrators, who had blocked the traffic outside the club for holding a protest meeting, turned violent after altercation with journalists over denying them access to the club. They attacked journalists and forced them to take refuge in the club.

Journalists Amer Moghal, Moazzam Bhatti, Rai Hasnain Tahir, Shadab Riaz, Shujaat Hamid, Haji Abdul Ghafoor, Amer Sohail, Shoaib Ahmad, Ijaz Mirza and club guard Wasif sustained injuries as a result of brick batting by demonstrators which continued for half an hour.

One of the injured had to be rushed to hospital. A Punjab Emergency Service Ambulance reached the club for picking the injured after a long time. All the glass of the club and windscreens of journalists' cars parked inside were smashed.

Police present outside the press club made no effort to stop the demonstrators. A police officer present on the scene said their superiors had directed them to give a free hand to the demonstrators.

Meanwhile, the governing body of the press club condemned the failure of the administration to protect journalists and the club against the attack and decided to hold an emergency meeting at 2pm on Saturday (today) to condemn the incident and decide about the future course of action.

Press Club president Arshad Ansari said it was the first time that a religious organization had attacked a press club and the police had acted as a silent spectator.

Imamia Students Organization secretary general Syed Fazal Abbas Naqvi, in the meantime, said in a statement that the demonstration outside the press club had been organized by the Jamia Al-Muntazir. The ISO had staged a demonstration on Thursday.