PFUJ demands arrest of journalists’ killers

HYDERABAD: All Pakistan Journalist Convention was held under the auspices of Hyderabad Union of Journalist (Afzal Butt Group) here on Friday.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalist (Afzal Butt) Central President Afzal Butt, Secretary General Khursheed Abbasi, Council of Pakistan Press Club Convener and Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari, Ali Raza Alvi, Lala Asad Pathan, Mushtaq Minhas, Irfan Saeed, Lala Rehman Samoon, Khalid Khokhar and others attended the event.
On the occasion, several resolutions were passed which demanded immediate arrest of killers of journalists, financial assistance to the heirs and especially children pursuing education of deceased journalists, linking payment of advertisements to media houses with the payment of salaries to their employees and setting up media towns across the country to facilitate the journalists.
Afzal Butt said 80 percent media was hostage in Karachi. Owing to this, Pakistan ranked as the most dangerous country for journalists. Hamid Mir was attacked on April 19 and the report was not released till date.
He said that thousands of workers of Geo Television had not been paid salaries for last three months. “We asked the management of Geo that they were continuously getting advertisements, why salaries were not being paid to workers. The management offered us to form a committee to hold audit,” he said.
Secretary General Khursheed Abbasi said he was fully aware of the financial problems being faced by workers of Geo. He said that Geo was being targeted to make it weak. “If any organisation faces a loss or winds up, it directly affects the workers,” he said and added that the government should take notice of the treatment being meted out to Geo.
Council of Pakistan Press Club Convener and Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari said that PFUJ was aware of the problems being faced by journalists. He said that Hamid Mir was attacked in Karachi but there was no clue about the attackers so far. Situation for Geo that emerged after the attack on Hamid Mir was still same. “Even today Geo TV is relegated to the last numbers of spectrum,” he said and added that Pemra should take notice of the treatment being meted out to Geo and Jang. Owing to this situation, workers of Geo had been without salaries for the last three months. He said that PFUJ would launch a movement if the atrocities with Geo were not stopped.
HUJ (Afzal Butt Group) President Khalid Khokhar, General Secretary Iqbal Malah and others also spoke on the occasion.