KARACHI, Oct 1: Journalists belonging to the print and electronic media staged a peaceful rally on Monday against the use of “brute force” on media men and lawyers in Islamabad on Sept 29, and demanded immediate removal of IG Islamabad Syed Morawat Ali Shah. They said the mere suspension of the IG was not enough.

Participants of the rally, organised by the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), marched from the Karachi Press Club to the Governor’s House and vowed to resist all attempts by the government to put curbs on the press through such a brazen use of brute force. They resolved that the freedom of the press would be defended at any cost.

The rally was attended by activists of various political parties, including ANP, PPP, PTI, JI and other components of the MMA and APDM, besides civil society organisations and the Aurat Foundation.

The rally was part of the nationwide protest for which a call was given by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).

The participants urged the media owners to stand alongside journalists in the struggle for press freedom.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the attack on the media, the protestors raised slogans against the government and police.

They recalled that journalists had been facing similar actions under dictatorships in the past but it was unfortunate that more than 29 journalists were humiliated and injured and no case was registered against the culprits this time.

KUJ president Shamim-ur-Rahman, KPC president Sabihuddin Ghousi, chief of the Electronic Media Association Javed Saba, Idrees Bakhtiar, Imtiaz Khan Faran, Javed Chaudhry and Faisal Aziz addressed the rally.