HYDERABAD, June 20: Speakers at a gathering at the press club here on Saturday paid rich tribute to Zamir Niazi for his services to the cause of freedom of press.

They exhorted journalists to follow in the footsteps of Zamir Niazi who raised the voice of dissent even in trying situations. The president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Ahfazur Rehman, said that journalists were duty bound to write the truth, the whole truth without fear or favour.

Mr Rehman said that the best way to pay homage to Zamir Niazi was to emulate his endeavours. He said that a journalist must work for the cause of the underprivileged and the downtrodden.

He said that pressure groups like government functionaries, political parties and regional, ethnic and religious organizations always tried to intimidate journalists but a committed journalist must perform his duties according to his conscience.

Mr Rehman said that more often than not even the newspaper owners created hurdles in the way of freedom of press due to their own vested interests. He demanded that the 7th wage board award be implemented without delay and the institution of professional editor be restored.

He urged the journalists of Sindh to unite on one platform to launch a joint struggle for the freedom of press and for their rights. The president of the Karachi press club, Nizamuddin Siddiqui, said that without free press the battle for democracy and economic rights could not be won.

KUJ secretary Fazil Jameeli, Sohail Sangi, Shahid Shaikh, Riaz Sohail, Iqbal Mallah, Hassan Pathan and Akhtar Baloch also spoke on the occasion.

RESULTS: The University of Sindh, Jamshoro, on Saturday announced the results of BA-I annual examinations. A total number of 13,690 candidates appeared in the examinations out of who 9,797 were declared successful.