Pervaiz, PBA condemn attack on TV channel’s van

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid has strongly condemned the incident of firing on Dawn News DSNG van in Karachi.
In a statement here Saturday, the minister said the government believes in freedom of expression and accords top priority to the safety and security of journalists and media workers.
He said that all possible measures are being taken by the federal government for provision of security to journalists and has approached the provincial government to provide an environment where media workers could perform their duties in accordance with their professional ethos and without any fear.
He also prayed for the early recovery of the injured engineer of the DSNG van.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) strongly condemned the attack on DAWN News Satellite Van in Karachi by unknown people injuring one of its employees.
In a press release issued from Karachi on Saturday, the PBA termed this act attempt to curb freedom of expression and to discourage media from performing its ‘constitutional’ responsibilities.
The PBA expressed complete solidarity with its member channel DAWN News against the act of violence and demanded of the government an immediate action to apprehend the culprits.
The broadcasters’ body reiterated and urged the government to take proper and effective measures to provide protection to the media. There had been similar attempts on other media houses as well in the recent past, but till now neither the culprits have been apprehended nor has there been any security arrangement made for the media, the press release said.
Our correspondents add: On the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists the Bahawalpur Union of Journalists (BhUJ) on Saturday staged protest demonstration to express their resentment against attack on DAWN News DSNG at Fowwara Chowk. Protest demonstration was led by Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar, Jamaat-e-Islami MPA, PFUJ vice president Muhammad Ameen Abbasi and BhUJ President A Majeed Gill. The protesters demanded immediate arrest of the assailants.
In Toba Tek Singh, journalists took out a rally to condemn the attack. It started from Shahbaz Chowk and after marching on different roads, it culminated at the starting point where participants staged a demonstration.