May 5, 2005	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 25, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, May 4: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, has condemned the police violence against peaceful rallies of journalists held in Lahore and Islamabad on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day.

In a statement here on Wednesday, the PML-N leader said the incidents confirmed “the Musharraf-Aziz government’s policy of denial of any freedom to the press and keeping it in shackles.”

Mr Nisar said the government actions once again proved that it could never tolerate press freedom. Reporters San Frontiers have rightly included Gen Pervez Musharraf among the 34 “predators of the press; that is why Pakistan had been ranked 150th with reference to press freedom,” he added.

He said heavens would not have fallen if the peaceful journalists were allowed to march towards the governor house and prime minister’s house, but the government had to keep its anti-press tradition alive.

He said the only crime of the journalists was that they dared to expose the corruption, incompetence and failure of the rulers in an atmosphere of threats, press advice and violence. “The PML-N pays tributes to the courage and truthfulness of patriotic journalists of Pakistan, and expresses complete solidarity with them,” he added.

The PML-N leader condemned the information minister’s remarks that the government should not be blamed for what happened in Lahore and Islamabad. He said the fact remained that the rulers had always prevented journalists from performing their professional duties.

He said many journalists were beaten up on the arrival of PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari in Lahore; two reporters, Amir Nawab Khan and Allah Noor Wazir, were shot dead when they tried to cover military action in Wana while Khawar Mehdi was arrested when he tried to enter the tribal area.

PPI adds: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Wednesday strongly condemned the baton-charge and arrest of journalists by the police in Islamabad and Lahore on World Press Freedom Day.

The Bar demanded that the official responsible for humiliation of peaceful journalist should be taken into task without any delay.

SCBA President Qazi Muhammad Jamil termed the incidents of violence against journalists as unconstitutional, illegal and undemocratic. He termed the journalists humiliation as an attack on the press freedom.

Earlier, addressing a press conference in the Supreme Court building advocate Dr Babar Awan, former Vice President SCBA Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry, advocate Zulfiqar Ahmad Bhutta and other representatives and members of the SCBA while condemning the journalists humiliation by police demanded for an impartial probe into the matter.

Criticizing the government, they said rulers want to hold down the press by using state machinery.

They demanded an immediate action against those responsible for the incident.