KARACHI, Aug 16: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the cancellation of the declaration of the weeklies Friday Special and Wajood and the daily Zarb-i-Islam under the Press and Publications Ordinance, and demanded the release of the editor of Wajood, Mohammad Tahir.

The declarations were cancelled by the Sindh government through a notification on Monday. It has previously banned weekly Zarb-i-Momin. All have been accused of publishing material designed to create hatred among different religious sects. However, the PFUJ said, the government had not yet come out with any evidence against these journals in a court of law.

PFUJ president Pervaiz Shaukat and secretary-general Mazhar Abbas in a joint statement on Tuesday termed the move as arbitrary and yet another attempt by the government to gag the press and silence the voice of dissent.

The PFUJ said the government action had come after Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had announced the withdrawal of cases against journalists, although not a single case had been withdrawn so far nor anyone released.

Describing the Press and Publications Ordinance, 2002, as a ‘black law’, the PFUJ demanded the abolition of all such laws.