LAHORE: Chaudhri Rehmat Elahi, Secretary-General of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan, today [Oct 29] sounded a note of warning against what he called a “conspiracy” against the freedom of the Press by a group which had selected the platform of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists to “attack almost all those parties which are working for the ideology” of Pakistan.

In the course of a Press statement here he said the Jamaat had always supported working journalists.… He was referring to the resolution passed by the Biennial Delegates Meeting (BDM) in Islamabad … which had accused the Jamaat-i-Islami and certain leaders of the PDB and the Central Jamiate Ulemae Islam for their alleged “pressure moves” that, according to the BDM, had resulted in the ouster of a journalist and some college teachers of Lahore from their jobs.

Describing the attack as uncalled for Chaudhri Sahib said it was mounted “on the pretext of a ‘nefarious and ugly’ campaign by these quarters to divide and malign the journalists and seek their purge”. …

He alleged that “this group of journalists” is “misusing” its positions in newspapers and news agencies to achieve the objectives of their camp by unfair means which are against the standards and ethics of journalism”.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2019