ISLAMABAD, March 23: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (Apnec) have taken strong exception to former ISI chief Lt-Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi’s remarks in a TV programme about journalists.

The two bodies demanded of him to tender unconditional apology, otherwise they would take extreme steps in this connection.

A joint statement was issued in this regard on Friday by PFUJ president I.H. Rashid, senior vice-president C.R. Shamsi; secretary-general Fouzia Shahid; Apnec chairman Abdul Hameed Chhapra and secretary-general Pervez Shoukat.

It said journalists were more patriotic than any general or bureaucrat, and had always prioritized national interest while performing their professional duties.

The journalists, the statement said, would not allow any one to malign their honourable and prestigious profession and create a division in their community.

The PFUJ-Apnec leaders said, on one hand, President Musharraf talked of freedom of press, and on the other hand some irresponsible adventurist cabinet members were busy making aspersions against journalists and trying to malign their reputation.

They asked the former ISI chief that if he wanted to express his views about their community, he should come to a debate with the representatives of the mediapersons and press workers. However, they added, he would not be allowed to give any impression of division in the ranks of the journalists in the name of “right” or “left” and make allegations against any institution.

Journalism is the only institutions left in the country that has withstood against all undemocratic moves, temptations, corruptions and injustices.

They demanded of the National Accountability Bureau to hold corrupt journalists accountable as well as those government departments and agencies that were patronizing and bribing such elements.

The also demanded of the president and the information minister, Nisar Memon, to invite journalists’ representatives at such programmes so that they could also put forward their view point.