KARACHI: President Z.A. Bhutto yesterday [June 25] warned the mill-owners not to play monkey tricks by arbitrarily declaring lock-outs, and said that such tactics to create difficulties for the labour and to slow down production would not be tolerated. The President, who was addressing a Press conference … disclosed that he was appointing a high-powered Committee which would study the lock-out and other chauvinistic industrial activities, and take severe action against those found guilty. However, he assured, if lock-outs were genuine because of understandable difficulties, the Government would do everything to help the mill-owners. … Mr Bhutto said he considered himself to be one among the working class.

… The President said … that he would not release the editors of the Lahore journals in the interest of the journalists themselves, and of high standards of journalism. He explained that he did not at all mind criticism against him or his Government, but downright lies and raw and unashamed name-calling could not be tolerated. He said he hated to arrest any journalists. About the rescinding of the Press and Publications Ordinance, he said the Government was considering the matter.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2022