The journalists’ community will hold a countrywide protest against Monday evening’s attack on the Express Media Group office.
In Karachi, the representatives and members of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and other supporters will gather outside the press club at 4pm and protest the second attack on the Express media office. The first attack took place on August 17 in broad daylight when a group of armed men opened fire at the main entrance.
PFUJ released a statement soon after to condemn the attack. Its president, Rana Muhammad Azeem, said the journalist fraternity was with Express media in this difficult situation. The union will also hold a sit-in in front of Parliament House on December 7 to demand the federal government provide security to journalists, said a statement after the second Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Azeem in Lahore.
Parties condemn attack
Meanwhile, several political parties also expressed their support to the media group. Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah directed the police to take action against the culprits and report to him within 24 hours. “The attack on the media group is tantamount to an attack on democratic government,” Shah said.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Faryal Talpur promised government support and called the attack a “cowardly” act. Later, PPP’s Owais Muzaffar, PML-N’s Nehal Hashmi and PTI’s Dr Arif Alvi also paid a visit to the office.
The government must expose those trying to suppress the freedom of the media, demanded Pakistan Muslim League - Functional’s Pir Pagara. “This was the second attack,” he said. “The government should stop issuing condemnation statements. We want to know what it has taken against those who fired at the same office earlier.”
Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman pointed out the lack of security provided by the government, despite the earlier attack.
PPP leader Najmi Alam visited the Express media group’s office after the incident. “It is the responsibility of the government to provide security,” he said. “Media groups should openly report on criminals behind such incidents instead of saying that it was done by ‘na maloom afraad’.” Alam felt the attacks were the result of the ongoing targeted operation.
Meanwhile, Sindh High Court Bar Association and Karachi Bar Association said that the members of the bar associations are with the journalists.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2013.
COMMENTS (11)
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ET is aligned with the biased NY times, operating under an agenda and not as a free media. So its actually a hidden politician under the cover of media. This was also revealed by a former top employee of NY times:
link: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/08/18/new-york-times-public-editor-admits-paper-has-liberal-bias
biased ET
By the way, Syed Ali Raza Abidi of MQM was among the poeple who visited the Express' Media Office. I don't know why MQM's name has not been mentioned.
This happened after ET reported IJT incident in Punjab University.
Why always Tribune/Express?..something fishy.
@just_someone: @akhtar Baloch:
As much as I may dislike MQM i did see Waasay Jalil speaking on Express News after the attack and condemning it.
@just_someone: @akhtar Baloch:
Altaf Hussain, in a rare conversation with the news channel, said that the Express Media Group was targeted because its newspapers and channel conduct impartial reporting, unlike other media groups. The MQM chief offered his prayers for the security guard who had been injured. He also said that he was willing to send his activists for the protection of his journalist brothers, and offered any kind of assistance, which the group may require.
Notice, one party is conspicuously missing from the list of political parties that condemned the attack. How more blatant can this party get before people stand up to them?
Why to protest. why not another Drone Attack?
all but the MQM..hint hint...(btw great tactical reporting ET)