September 20, 2007	Thursday	Ramazan 07, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) has condemned the abduction of a reporter of DawnNews by security agencies and his subsequent release after two days.

The RIUJ office-bearers have warned the government that if the abduction of journalists and their torture were not stopped, the journalist community would launch a protest movement against it.

Babur Hussain, a reporter with DawnNews, was kidnapped from outside his residence in Rawalpindi on Saturday and later released on Tuesday after thorough interrogation by the personnel of an intelligence agency.

The RIUJ office-bearers staged a peaceful protest against the incident in front of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club camp office on Wednesday.

The RIUJ president, Mohammad Afzal Butt, Senior Vice- President Shehryar Khan, Secretary Ishfaq Sajid, PFUJ Secretary- General Mazhar Abbas, prominent analyst Naseem Zehra and a large number of journalists from the twin cities participated in the demonstration.

Addressing the protesters, PFUJ Secretary-General Mazhar Abbas and RIUJ President Mohammad Afzal Butt strongly condemned the incident and said the government should avoid suppressing freedom of journalists, and if any attempt was made to do so then all journalists would unite against such endeavours.

They urged all journalist organisations to stand united in order to stop the incidents of abductions of journalists and their torture.

They further said the International Federation of Journalists had also condemned the incident and announced to raise voice for the protection of the rights of journalists in Pakistan.—Online

Our Correspondent from Attock adds: Central Union of Journalists (CUJ) Attock has condemned the kidnapping-cum- detention of reporter Babar Hussain of DawnNews.

In a meeting, the CUJ members and other journalists said the act was meant to harass journalists. They demanded strict action against those responsible for the kidnapping of Mr Hussain, besides holding an impartial inquiry into the incident to bring culprits to justice.