Press Freedom Day observed across Pakistan

Hamid Mir gets ‘Sitara-e-Sahafat’; journalists vow to protect media freedom

ISLAMABAD: The World Press Freedom Day was observed across the globe, including Pakistan on Wednesday, to pay tribute to journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.The day was first announced in 1993 by the UN General Assembly following a recommendation adopted at the 26th Session of Unesco General Conference in 1991.

The journalists observed day across the country by organising rallies and functions including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Hyderabad and Quetta. The journalists and the leaders of their representative bodies freedom of expression was inalienable right which would be defended at every cost.

In the federal capital, journalists and media workers warned the government that any attempt to muffle the press freedom would be dealt with a strong resistance. “We will go to any length to protect the freedom of expression and speech if the government takes any action against the Dawn newspaper, its editor or reporter,” said PFUJ President Afzal Butt, addressing a gathering of journalists who had assembled outside Dawn offices to express solidarity with their colleagues.

Rallies and protest demonstrations were organised in all the major cities and towns of the country to condemn the government’s directive to APNS to take disciplinary action against the newspaper. Separately, famous Geo News anchor Hamid Mir was awarded a medal ‘Sitara-e-Sahafat’ (Medal of Journalism) at an event organised by Allama Iqbal Open University.

In Quetta, the speakers told a rally outside the press club that journalists were discharging their professional obligations in very difficult situation in Balochistan amid the pressure exerted by banned organisations.

In Hyderabad, senior journalists, addressing a seminar organised by PFUJ, said governments never favoured an independent media, adding that rulers were conspiring to impose curbs on media houses only to hide their incompetency.

Meanwhile, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto has condemned putting off-air two private channels by Pemra and warned Sharif brothers to desist threatening free media. “World is celebrating Press Freedom Day and the Nawaz Sharif government is attacking media on the day”, the PPP chairman said in a statement.