Protest: Journalist rally against attack on newspaper office

Newspaper blames chief minister for the attack.

GILGIT:

Dozens of journalist Thursday protested against attack at the office of a regional Urdu newspaper in Skardu and attack on journalists of a private TV channel in Peshawar.

They held placards inscribed with slogans of freedom of media. They marched towards the Chief Minister’s Office from Gilgit Press Club (GPC), and camped outside the G-B Legislative Assembly. Several journalists, including Imtiaz Ali Taj, GPC President Sharfuddin Faryad, Union of Journalists General Secretary and Mehboob Khayam addressed the rally.

The GPC had given a protest call on Wednesday, after a dozen armed men in Skardu attacked the office of a local newspaper. They reportedly beat up the guards and smashed the window panes of the office.

The management of the newspaper blamed the chief minister for orchestrating the attack through his party workers.

“The chief minister is responsible for the attack on media and journalists,” said Taj, adding that the chief minister was settling his personal scores with the newspaper on the pretext of court directions.

He announced to hold a journalists’ convention to deal over the issues being faced by media personnel in Gilgit.

(Read: A journalist in Pakistan, Living on the edge)

The speakers requested the Supreme Appellate Court to take action against the attackers and direct the police to protect journalists.



Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2011.