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| JI chief abruptly declines to address KPC programme |
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Tuesday, May 05, 2009
By Shamim Bano
Karachi
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Munawwar Hasan, reflecting the party’s policy, declined to address the “Meet-the-Press” programme of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Monday in the wake of an acrimonious incident which took place on his arrival on Saturday night at the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport.
This was Hasan’s first visit to Karachi after taking oath as JI Ameer. A large contingent of media personnel was present at the airport on Saturday night for the coverage of his arrival. Supporters of the JI, Pasban, and Shabab-e-Milli were also there to receive him when some journalists were reportedly manhandled by JI activists.
JI spokesman Sarfaraz Ahmed told The News that “some misunderstanding” took place between journalists and JI activists. “We apologised to the media people,” he said.
The “Meet-the-Press” programme on Monday, however, was turned into a protest rally of the media outside the KPC, as media personnel reacted strongly to “the attitude of the JI.” Meanwhile, the KPC notice board stated that Hasan’s ‘Meet-the-Press’ programme was postponed “due to some unavoidable circumstances.”
The JI spokesman, on the other hand, contended that the JI Chief had to pull out of the programme due to the “disrespectful attitude of the media.” It may be mentioned here that this was for the first time that a guest refused to participate in the press club programme.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan was also to address the ‘Meet-the-Press’ programme on Monday. His talk could not materialise either, because he was not allowed to board the Karachi-bound flight from Lahore after the Sindh government had banned his entry into the province. The ban was later lifted after the intervention of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
