Job security: Journalists protest sacking of 23 colleagues

LAHORE: Dozens of journalists staged a sit-in on The Mall in front of the Punjab Assembly building on Saturday in protest against the sacking of 23 employees by Aaj Kal, an Urdu language newspaper.

The protesters blocked traffic for about half an hour and chanted slogans criticising the owners of media outlets. They termed the removal of the employees from Aaj Kal “a move against journalistic independence”.

The administration of Aaj Kal sacked the employees on January 20.

Addressing the protesters, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists assistant secretary Muhammad Waseem Farooq said that the administration of Aaj Kal had indicated that it would pay the sacked employees their salaries pending for about 4 months, but if it did not do so by Monday, the journalists would stage further protests.

Punjab Union of Journalists secretary general Rana Azeem said that they would set up a protest camp in front of the Aaj Kal building.

He demanded the administration pay the remaining dues of the employees and also reinstate them.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd,  2011.