ISLAMABAD: The journalist community of the twin cities on Saturday staged a protest outside the National Press Club (NPC) Islamabad, demanding immediate arrest of the murderers of Sindhi journalist Nasrullah Gaddani.
Criticizing the government and authorities for their negligence, the protestors called for lifting restrictions on the media. Silencing truth-tellers is a blatant attack on press freedom, they argued.
Former Secretary-General of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Nasir Zaidi, President of the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), Tariq Ali Virk, along with other representatives addressed the protestors.
Speaking on the occasion, Nasir Zaidi highlighted that freedom of expression in Pakistan has been severely compromised, with repressive laws choking journalists and preventing them from writing the truth. He mentioned that there has been an ongoing effort to silence journalists through intimidation and violence. Zaidi warned that PFUJ would not tolerate such tactics and could call for nationwide protests if their demands are not met.
RIUJ President Tariq Ali Virk stated that Gaddani’s murder was a conspiracy to stifle journalism. He emphasized that such conspiracies would not succeed and condemned the enforcement of draconian laws and media restrictions in a democratic setup. He demanded the immediate arrest of Gaddani’s and other journalists’ killers, including Kamran Dawar.
Senior Vice President of RIUJ, Raja Bashir Usmani, denounced the brutal tactics used to prevent journalists from speaking the truth, labeling them as fascist measures by the ruling authorities. He asserted that the inhumane treatment of journalists in a democratic government is intolerable and called for prompt action against Gaddani’s killers.
Vice President of the National Press Club, Shah Muhammad, described Gaddani’s murder as a punishment for writing the truth. He cautioned against attempts to misrepresent the murder and stated that such efforts would not succeed.
Acting Secretary of the National Press Club, Aoun Shirazi vowed to uphold the principles of truth and righteousness. He condemned the government’s failure to arrest Gaddani’s killers and warned that journalists’ patience should not be mistaken for weakness. He threatened widespread protests if the killers were not apprehended.
