KARACHI, Feb 19: Journalists held a protest meeting at Karachi Press Club and marched up to Governor’s House on Monday to protest against the abduction of Mr Sohail Qalander, Resident Editor of Daily Express Peshawar, and demanded that the government ensure his early recovery.

Journalists in the protest meeting condemned the growing phenomenon of kidnapping and slammed the government for failing to protect the common man.

The meeting criticised the government’s inaction and noted that despite the passage of 50 days, the journalist remained untraced.

The protest meeting and rally was organised by the Karachi Union of Journalists, in response to a call by the Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).

The KUJ rejected the argument that the government was unable to trace the missing journalist and said that it reserved the right to approach international fora for his recovery in case the government’s apathy persisted.

Earlier Secretary General of the PFUJ, Mazhar Abbas, APNEC chief Shafiuddin Ashraf, President KUJ Shamim-ur-Rahman, General Secretary KUJ Jawed Asghar and others addressed the gathering.

The journalists, photographers and representatives of electronic media, trade unions and political activists marched towards Governors House, chanting slogans for Mr Qalandar’s recovery.

At Governor’s House, they staged a sit-in and handed over a memorandum to a Governor’s House representative demanding Mr. Qalandar’s immediate recovery.