QUETTA: The participants of a seminar organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Friday resolved to fight for the right to speech and dissent guaranteed by the Constitution to every citizen.

The speakers vowed to take “every possible measure” for solving media workers’ problems.

Ali Ahmed Kurd, a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, presided over the proceedings.

Representatives of political parties, bar councils, office-bearers of the Quetta Press Club and the Balochistan Editors Council assured the PFUJ of all-out support in its struggle for betterment of the media industry.

Addressing the seminar, provincial Minister for Sports and Culture Abdul Khaliq Hazara underlined the importance of press freedom, but stressed that freedom should not be used to divide society through hate speech. “Only through a free press the goal of progress can be achieved as it ensures transparency,” he said.

Ali Ahmed Kurd recalled the sacrifices made by the people of Balochistan for safeguarding human rights and press freedom since the creation of Pakistan.

“Thanks to a long struggle for human rights waged by all communities, the people of Balochistan are now more politically conscious than before and no force can suppress them any longer.”

Shehzada Zulfiqar, who heads the PFUJ, said any movement starting from Quetta had never failed and “we are confident that our long march for the resolution of media crisis will be another success”.

Nasir Zaidi, the PFUJ’s secretary general, criticised the government for its ‘indifference to media workers’ misery and called for implementation of the eighth wage award at the earliest.

Among the notable speakers were Liaquat Shahwani, a spokesperson for the provincial government, Mahyuddin Baloch of BNP-A, Syed Agha Nasir Shah of BNP, Mabaat Kaka of ANP, Dr Attaur Rehman of Jamaat-i- Islami, Dilawar Khan Kakar of JUI-F and others. Saleem Shahid, a senior vice president of PFUJ, tabled a resolution on issues confronting the media and for launching of a long march from Quetta.

The resolution was adopted unanimously.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2021