Freedom of expression: Journalists resolve to strengthen democracy

PFUJ urges government to address journalists’ problems.

Parliamentarians and journalists affirmed their determination to strengthen democratic institutions and protect freedom of expression.

Speaking at a seminar on “Youm-e-Azm,” organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) at the National Press Club (NPC) on Tuesday, they acknowledged the sacrifices made by journalists for freedom of expression during the Zia regime.

Journalists paid tribute to their veterans and the 82,000 political workers who were subjected to torture and had been jailed for raising their voices for democracy and freedom, adding that they are united against forces that are trying to derail democracy while staying neutral and not being party to state institution.

Opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah also praised journalists, lawyers and workers who stood against the atrocities of the military dictator and struggled for the restoration of democracy and freedom of press.

Sharing the pain of Zia’s brutality, senior journalist Nasir Zaidi said that we bear the pain of Karachi, where terrorists killed 45 innocent people. He, later said that we imported these terrorists for dollars.

PPP Senator Mukhtar Ajiz said that today’s freedom of press is the result of the sacrifices made by senior journalists.

President PFUJ, Afzal Butt, announced a month-long awareness campaign to pay tribute to the sacrifices of journalists, and to highlight the issues faced by journalists and media persons.

He added that after Ramzan, presidents and secretaries of all PFUJs and press clubs will march towards Islamabad to hold protest outside Parliament House and urge the government to fulfill demands. Civil Society and human rights organisations will also be invited to join the protest. “The government has failed to improve things for journalists,” he said.

Senior journalist, Iqbal Zaidi said that Zia, “flogged us for our resistance against his practices but he could not keep us away from our mission.”  While rememorising the bitter memories of Zia, he said that journalists were among the 30,000 workers, scholars and human rights activists, who were flogged for raising their voice against the censorship of newspapers. “We were sent to prison for a year after a 15-minute trial. But this punishment could not keep us away from our cause,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2015.