Journalists hold massive protest rallies
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—The Journalists community observed Black Day and staged protest rally on the call of Pakistan Union of Journalists against the brutality of police on Journalists outside the Election Commission of Pakistan. The historic rally marched from the Melody Press Club to the Parliament House in which hundreds of journalists participated on Sunday.
Political parties of Pakistan, representatives of the Civil Societies, NGOs, Lawyers and besides amnesty international large number of the people participated in the protest rally. While President PML-N, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmad, Khuwaja Saad Rafiq, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, President Supreme Court Bar Association, Munir A Malik, Ali Ahmad Kurd, representatives of the Pakistan Minorities, President International Human Rights Observer, Khalid Aftab Solaria, Sameia Raheel Qazi and including Dr. Kausar Firdaus several MNAs and Senators also participated in the rally.
On the occasion, President PFUJ, Humma Ali have strongly condemned the brutality of police on journalists. It was a pre-planed drama in order to harassed the journalists, he added. He further said that at least seven journalists have been killed, 68 were abducted and harassed while 81 injured in the past seven years. President Rawalpindi Islamabad Press Club, Mushtaq Minhas said that there is worse form of dictatorship and it is functioning by violating the laws and constitution.
He further said that General Musharraf wanted to achieve the desired results by oppressing the journalists. Civil Societies, lawyers, and people would make these election foiled, he added. Secretary General Mazhar Abbas said that government should consider the history of Minhaj Burna and Nisar Usmani and we are their pupils. President RIUJ, Afzal Butt, C R Shamsi, Ashfaq Sajjad also strongly condemned the brutality on the journalists and termed this act of government as state terrorism.
While speaking about the action against Senator Tariq Azeem they said that he was not beaten by lawyers rather agencies. Similarly, journalists communities of the several big cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Karachi also staged protest demonstration and rallies on the call of leaders of the several parties, PFUJ and APDM.
On behalf of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Deputy Secretary General Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Kamal, District Secretary General Syed Arif Sherazi, Shams-ur-Rehman Sotti, MNA Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, Raza Ahmad Shah, Syed Zafar Mehmood while on behalf of the PML-N, Akhtar Mehmood Advocate, city President PML-N, Secretary General Sardar Nasim, Imtiaz Gul, Farooq Khattak, Hafiz Abdullah Butt and Shafiq Kharry Khan participated in the demonstration.
The angry mob chanted anti-government slogans and blocked the main Fowara Chowk. Heavy contingent of police have been deployed on all the main routes in order to avert any untoward incident. The speaker of the rally in their address strongly criticized the government and condemned the brutality of police against the journalists outside the Election Commission of Pakistan. They further blamed that President General Pervez Musharraf has made the country hell and wanted to rule for another five years. They also targeted the Pakistan policy on Kashmir.