Journalists took to the streets of the city on Saturday over recent attacks on media offices in Karachi, Lahore and Hyderabad.
A large number of protesters gathered at Peshawar Press Club and subsequently proceeded towards main Sher Shah Suri Road. The demonstration was organised by Khyber Union of Journalists and was led by its president, Saiful Islam Saifi.
Protesters shouted slogans against the spate of violence, aggression and militancy. They held placards in favour of press freedom and criticised government functionaries.
The gathering was addressed by Saifi, Iqbal Khattak and KUJ General Secretary Sardar Faizan Hussain.
The speakers expressed concern over violence against media representatives and held the government responsible for such violent acts. “Banning coverage of certain parties and groups provoked protesters to attack media personnel,” senior journalist Iqbal Khattak said.
He said there was no justification for the government to take such discriminatory actions on media coverage.
Saifi, while denouncing violence against the media, said the attacks were an attempt to curb press freedom.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2016.
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