June 08, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 22, 1428

MULTAN, June 7: Mass arrests of opposition workers in Punjab during the current week failed to have any effect on political parties presence in rallies organised by journalists and lawyers in different party of Punjab on Thursday.

In Multan, the press club and the Multan Union of Journalists organized a joint rally. Led by MPC president Shakeel Anjum, secretary-general Jamshaid Rizwani and MUJ president Syed Nadeem Shah, the rally started from the press club and terminated at the starting point after passing through various city roads.

Scores of civil society representatives, traders, lawyers, journalists and activists of various political parties, including the PML-N, the PPP, the PTI and the PSP, participated in the rally.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of the media and judiciary, the protestors screamed slogans against Gen Pervez Musharraf. They also burnt copies of the Pemra Ordinance, terming it a black law.

SHEIKHUPURA: Leaders and activists of the PPP, the MMA, and journalists and lawyers jointly observed black day in Sheikhupura, Ferozewala, Nankana Sahib and Sangla Hill.

Rallies were taken out against the government while lawyers stayed away from court proceedings in the three towns.

Journalists and lawyers took out a protest procession in Sheikhupura and demanded the withdrawal of the Pemra Ordinance.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Office-bearers of political parties, journalists, lawyers and representatives of NGOs took out a joint rally.

Starting from the district press club, the participants marched through Jhang and Imambargah roads. They were carrying banners inscribed with the slogan of "No to ban on media".

Earlier, a protest meeting was also held at the press club under the chairmanship of president Mian Manzoor Naz.

SIALKOT: Workers of political parties stood by lawyers and journalists in Sialkot and Narowal districts and protested against the government for placing curbs on media and independence of judiciary.

Lawyers boycotted courts in Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur, Shakargarh and Narowal. They also wore black armbands in protest.

In Sialkot, lawyers took out a rally that began from the District Courts and terminated at Allama Iqbal Chowk. DBA president Muhammad Iqbal Harrar and secretary-general Syed Najamul Hassan Gillani led the rally.

VEHARI: Activists of the PPP, journalists and members of the local district bar brought out a protest procession against the fresh media curbs.

Participants of the rally, which took a round of the city, also raised anti-government slogans.

OKARA: Members of the district bar association boycotted court proceedings and set up a protest camp in the district courts complex. They chanted slogans against President Pervez Musharraf for imposing black laws under the Pemra Ordinance.

DBA president Malik Maqbool Hussain Shakir, secretary-general Chaudhry Sagheer Ahmed Harni and other lawyers set on fire copies of the Pemra Ordinance.

Meanwhile, three activists of opposition parties were detained for 90 days on the direction of the home department.

FAISALABAD: Lawyers and journalists took out a rally from the press club which ended at the same point after passing through the permitted route.

Headed by DBA president Tanvir Randhawa, the participants protested against the government for imposing restrictions on media.