Amid slogans of ‘shame, shame’, hundreds of journalists and rights activists marched from the Lahore Press Club to the Governor’s House via Kashmir Road and The Mall. Heavy police contingent escorted the rally.
Holding placards and banners outside the Governor’s House, the participants chanted anti-government slogans and sought a public apology from the governor and President Musharraf.
Reporters who had staged a walkout after remarks by the governor against the press during the president’s referendum rally in Faisalabad on Sunday were baton-charged in Faisalabad. As a result, 23 them of them were injured.
Speaking to participants in the rally in front of the Governor’s House, PFUJ President I H Raashid condemned the attack on journalists, asking the governor to immediately withdraw his statement and publicly apologize from the journalists.
He announced that journalists would continue their protest and rallies would be held in other parts of the country if the government did not accept their demands.
At the press club, Mr Raashid said the Faisalabad incident had exposed the government’s real face and clearly belied its claim of giving the press freedom. He urged the journalist community to keep themselves united for their cause.
Journalist and rights activist Husain Naqi termed the Faisalabad incident a black day in the journalism history. “The mediamen were thrashed only for writing the truth,” he said.
Following its culture and training, Mr Naqi said: “The army attacked the journalists as if they were enemy. It is simply state terrorism.” He urged journalists and their bodies to continue their struggle for the press freedom till an apology by the government.
Former chairperson HRCP Asma Jehangir also participated in the protest but she did not speak.
PUJ President Usman Bin Ahmad, Secretary-General Mohammad Akram and representatives of various journalists’ bodies also spoke.
The speakers proposed a joint action committee to look into the matter and continue the protest in coordination with rights activists and other such groups.
Later, Lahore Press Club acting President Ziaullah Niazi offered all financial assistance to run the campaign on behalf of the club.
In the gathering, the journalists passed a resolution condemning the attack on journalists. It said the remarks given by the governor instigated police who thrashed the reporters. It resolved on behalf of all journalist bodies to continue struggle for freedom of press.
The resolution asked the governor to immediately withdraw his remarks and tender an apology. It also urged President Musharraf to regret the incident. It asked for an action against the policemen and other officials responsible for the incident. In case of failure to meet the demands, the resolution said the journalists would launch a countrywide movement.
Meanwhile, a Press Freedom Committee had been set up to evolve a further strategy. The committee members were PFUJ President I H Raashid, PFUJ (Dastoor) President Saeed Aasi, PUJ President Usman bin Ahmad, Jalilur Rehman of the PFUJ (Dastoor), acting Lahore Press Club President Ziaullah Niazi, Secretary Arshad Ansari, former chairperson HRCP Asma Jehangir, HRCP Director I. A. Rehman, journalist and rights activists Husain Naqi, Aziz Mazhar, Najam Sethi, former Lahore Press Club president Saqlain Imam, Shafiq Awan, former Supreme Court Bar Association President Abid Hassan Minto and Lahore High Court Bar Association and Lahore Car Association presidents. PUJ Secretary-General Mohammad Akram would act as coordinator of the committee.