KARACHI, April 23: A “demands day” meeting of newspaper employees which was to be held on Monday at the Karachi Press Club was cancelled by the Karachi chapter of Apnec due to unavoidable circumstances.

However, a meeting of Apnec’s Karachi office-bearers will be held on Wednesday at 4.30pm in the union office of Daily Jang to chalk out the future programmes, according to a press release.

Meanwhile, the Karachi Union of Journalists on Monday held a meeting in connection with the postponed Demands Day on Monday. The meeting called for implementation of the 7th wage award and constitution of the 8th wage board, and also condemned threats to journalists belonging to the print and electronic media.

It demanded immediate withdrawal of the Pemra notice to the ‘AaJ’ and other TV channels for their coverage of the events relating to the presidential reference against chief justice of Pakistan, calling it strong arm tactics to prevent journalists from performing their professional duties and bring the truth to people.

The meeting described it ‘a direct attack on the freedom of press’, saying it was immoral, illegal and hence not acceptable.

The meeting was addressed by PFUJ Secretary General Mazhar Abbas, KUJ President Shamim-ur-Rahman, KUJ General Secretary Javed Chaudhri, President of Karachi Press Club Sabihuddin Ghousi , Abdul Hameed Chapra, ATJ President Javed Saba and General Secretary Faisal Aziz Khan.

Jamaat-i-Islami leader Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui has also condemned the Pemra, saying that issuance of the notice to the ‘Aaj’ TV was in line with the agenda of military rulers. Terming the action ‘an attack on the freedom of press’, he said such attacks on media were an old tactic of authoritarian mentality.

President of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Sindh, MNA Asadullah Bhutto also expressed concern over issuance of show cause notice to the TV channel for its coverage of the ongoing judicial crisis.

In a statement, he described it as negation of the government’s tall claim of having allowed full freedom to media.

“Through such tactics, the government wants to overawe media for coverage of its liking which is a violation of the Constitution and also harmful to democracy.”

Maulana Bhutto urged media to continue discharging its duty without accepting any pressures.