September 28, 2008	Sunday	Ramazan 27, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned attacks earlier this week on teams of DawnNews and Sindh TV while they were doing stories on the Makli graveyard by “people working for the family of a provincial Sindh minister”, seeking action against those responsible.

The PFUJ, in a statement issued here on Saturday, also called for an independent probe into the alleged takeover of the graveyard.

Mazhar Abbas, PFUJ general secretary, said the DawnNews team, led by Abid Palejo, had gone to Makli a few days ago to do a story on the historic graveyard and to verify reports that some influential people working for a former MPA, Ghulam Qadir Palejo, had taken over the place.

“If the reports about the Makli graveyard are false why the TV team was attacked and their equipment destroyed. It is a direct attack on freedom of the press as the journalists were stopped from doing their work,” the statement said.

The PFUJ further said that since the provincial minister could influence the inquiry, it should be held by a Sindh High Court judge.

The PFUJ asked the Sindh Chief Minister, the interior minister and the information minister to look into these incidents.