NEW YORK, May 4: The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday condemned police attacks on journalists in Lahore and Islamabad on Tuesday. “To beat and arrest journalists on World Press Freedom Day sends a disturbing message about the government’s attitude towards the press,” CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said.

“We are appalled by the violent attacks on our colleagues and call on the authorities to punish those responsible,” he added.

The CPJ noted that during peaceful demonstrations to mark the World Press Freedom Day, about 50 journalists were injured when police baton-charged their march in Lahore, and 60 were detained for two hours at a police station in Islamabad, as told by the local journalists.

The journalists had staged a peaceful rally in Lahore, marching through the city while holding banners and raising slogans. As they approached government buildings, police attacked them without warning or provocation, beating them with batons, according to eyewitnesses.

In Islamabad, another group of press reporters and photographers assembled near the parliament building, raising slogans that called for implementation of the Seventh Wage Award reform and the ensuring of press freedom.

Dozens of police officers stormed the rally, threw the journalists into cars and vans and took them to a nearby police station where they were detained for two hours, according to the local journalists.