QUETTA, Aug 20: A meeting of the federal executive council of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) held here from Aug 17 to 19 reaffirmed its commitment to freedom of the press and expression and resolved to wage a campaign against newspaper owners if they failed to implement the 7th Wage Award before Eidul Fitr.

The meeting also resolved to resist attempts to curtail press freedom either by the management of newspaper organisations or the government, political parties or ethnic pressure groups.

The meeting expressed deep concern over increasing incidents of violence against journalists, attacks on media centres and threats, particularly in Waziristan and other tribal areas.

The meeting assailed the killing of journalists and threats to their families, especially in Balochistan and the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas.

The meeting resolved not to accept any ‘code of conduct’ which went against the principles of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and demanded immediate withdrawal of the amended Pemra Ordinance and other draconian laws.

The meeting said that several cases were pending against journalists, some of them under the Official Secrets Act. It demanded withdrawal of cases registered against Mukesh Rupeta and Sanjay Kumar in Jacobabad, Hadi Sangi in Larkana and Abu Shamel, Tahir and others in Karachi.

The meeting expressed solidarity with the people of Balochistan struggling for their rights and demanded of the government to resolve the issue through dialogue instead of military force.

The meeting also expressed sympathy and solidarity with families of the Balochistan, missing since long and the human rights activists protesting their disappearances and for their recovery. The meeting expressed regrets over the reported disappearance of more than 6,000 people in Balochistan and asked the government to make efforts for an early recovery of the people.

The meeting condemned extra-judicial arrests of people in different parts of Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan.