KARACHI, May 6: Journalists boycotted proceedings of the Sindh Assembly on Friday in protest against violent attitude of police against protesting media men on Tuesday in different parts of the country. Journalists staged a sit-in on the stairs of the assembly building where they were addressed by PFUJ leaders. A resolution was adopted by the participants who then marched up to the assembly gate, demanding action against the police personnel involved in violence against journalists.

The resolution called upon the government to reverse its decision of withdrawing its representatives from the parliamentary committee, set up by the National Assembly, to investigate the May 3 police action. The NA resolution had suggested that the committee should submit its report to the house within a month.

The protesting journalists demanded that the time limit given to the committee be curtailed to one week.

The unanimously adopted resolution of the journalists’ rally deplored the use of brute force by police against media people in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, on the occasion of International Press Freedom Day. Similar attitude of police was witnessed on April 16 when a prominent political leader was due in Lahore from abroad, it noted, adding that the treatment meted out to media men had made the regime’s credentials dubious and reduced its commitment to press freedom, tolerance and respect for fundamental rights to a mere facade.

It demanded public apology by the Sindh government, and urged the house to pass a resolution deploring ‘state terrorism’ against journalists. It also demanded stern action against those who ordered and participated in the May 3 police action, as well as compensation to the affected journalists.

Chief of the Assembly Media Committee Shamim-ur-Rehman, PFUJ Secretary General Mazhar Abbas and other leaders addressed the protesting journalists.

The committee warned the government against resorting to such abuse of law and civilized norms. It also appealed to all editors to join in the working journalists’ protest as their own dignity and rights had also been subverted.

Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan People’s Party-Patriot and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal expressed solidarity with the journalist community.

Provincial Minister Qamar Mansoor and Adviser to the CM on Information Salahuddin Haider and MPA Abdul Quddous of the MQM, along with Sardar Manzoor Panhwar of the PPP-Patriot, came out of the house to persuade the protesting journalists to end their boycott of the assembly proceedings, and held out the assurance that the matter would be taken up with the federal government.

Mohajir Qaumi Movement MPA Yunus Khan also expressed support to journalists on behalf of his party.

The MPAs belonging to the MMA, led by Maulana Omar Sadiq, boycotted the Friday session to express solidarity with the journalist community.

Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmad Khuhro of PPP-Parliamentarians joined in the journalists’ protest and briefly addressed them.