Journalists sit it out


Nauman Tasleem July 12, 2010

LAHORE: Staging a sit-in on the stairs of the Punjab Assembly (PA) and refusing to go inside, journalists boycotted the PA session on Monday in protest to a resolution passed against the media by the MPAs.

They refused to cover the proceedings until the resolution is withdrawn and assembly members apologise to them.

Journalists, who were gathered outside the PA chambers, condemned all political parties for passing the ‘shameful’ resolution and imposing curbs on the media.

Though all MPAs entering the chambers were censured by the irate members of the press, no one drew as harsh a reaction as Sanaullah Mastikhail – the mover of the resolution. When Mastikhail entered the assembly premises amid tight security – which according to an official he specifically asked for – journalists ran towards him chanting ‘Dekho dekho kon aya...chor aya chor aya’ (look who is here ... the thief is here) and ‘Matric fail Matric fail... Mastikhail Mastikhail’. A bottle was also hurled at Mastikhail by a member of the press.

The assembly session was scheduled for 3:00pm but no activity was seen before 3:45pm. Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, PPP Parliamentary leader Raja Riaz and MMA’s lone member Noor Khan Niazi tried talking to the protesting journalists. However, denying the MPAs an audience, the journalists started shouting slogans against them, who then went inside the House after about 15 minutes.

Leader of the Opposition, Chaudhry Zaheerud Din and other PML-Q members tried joining the remonstrating journalists but were met with slogans of ‘Shame, Shame’. “Chaudhry Zaheer is trying to justify his position by joining us, but when the resolution was presented, he favoured it,” said Sarmad Bashir the Lahore Press Club (LPC) president. Zaheerud Din and his party members were also made to change their minds about joining the protest and after a while went away.

Lahore Press Club (LPC) president Sarmad Bashir, general secretary Zia Ullah Khan Niaza, vice president Amir Waqas; Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) president Rai Hasnain Tahir, general secretary Rana Azeem and the PA Press Gallery president Zaheer Shehzad addressed the journalists.

They all condemned the PA for passing the resolution and termed its adoption “worse than dictatorship”.

“Such resolutions were not even passed during dictatorial regimes. Politicians always betray the nation by their shameful acts and criticise the media,” they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2010.

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