KARACHI: Heated debate in City Council over threats to newsmen
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, June 2: A heated debate took place in the City Council on Saturday over the issue of threats issued to journalists as the opposition and treasury benches tabled their separate resolutions, ignoring the presiding officer Ms Nasreen Jalil’s advice to agree on a single resolution.
Both the resolutions were put to vote and the one moved by the treasury benches was adopted by the house.
In its resolution, the treasury side expressed its belief in complete freedom of expression and condemned the issuance of threats to journalists, terming it ‘a conspiracy against the nation and the country’. It also urged the government to take appropriate measures for the protection of journalists.
Initiating the debate, Leader of the Opposition Saeed Ghani of the Awam Dost Group said it was the responsibility of the government to protect life and property of citizens, including journalists, but the situation appeared quite different as journalists were subjected to threats. He pointed out that bullets in envelopes were being sent to journalists to warn them against revealing facts.
Mr Ghani said the government talked much about the freedom of press but, in practice, it was gagging the press by restricting it from airing live footage. “What type of freedom it is?” he questioned, and expressed his astonishment that the lawyers who had burnt an effigy of General Musharraf had been charged with sedition.
He also referred to the conflicting statements from the government on the issue of press freedom, indicating that while the Sindh governor fully supported freedom of press, General Pervez Musharraf called for ‘proper handling of the media’.
Mr Ghani was of the view that the remarks against press freedom were aimed at harassing journalists.
Leader of the Awam Dost Group Rafiq Ahmed said the government had failed to identify those who were involved in the attack on ‘Aaj’ TV office with firearms and also those who were involved in the Nishtar Park blast and the May 12 violence. He also condemned the new restrictions imposed on the electronic media.
Treasury leader Asif Siddiqui defended the government’s media policy, and claimed that the press stood silent when, in 1992, an operation had been launched against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. He also claimed that the press was enjoying more freedom today than ever before.
Later, the opposition boycotted the remaining proceedings of the session in protest against the treasury side’s attitude.
