KHUJ and Peshawar Press Club seeks impartial inquiry of police action against Mashriq Group

Peshawar, August 08, 2011 (PPI): Khyber Union of Journalists and Peshawar Press Club on Monday strongly condemned police action against Daily Mashriq and vowed such kind of attitude with media will not be tolerated in future.

Through a resolution an impartial inquiry of the incident and action against the responsible police officers was demanded.

The resolution was passed in a meeting held at Press Club that was called by KHUJ to condemn the attack and adopt a joint line of action to protect freedom of press.

The sitting which was attended large number of journalists, representatives of Media marketing Association, Railway Prem Union, Hawkers of Newspapers and others also participated in the meeting.

Addressing on the occasion President KHUJ Arshad Aziz Malik urged journalist to forge unity to fight for independence of media. Condemning the police hooliganism against Mashriq, he said attacks on media houses are not tolerable therefore media men will not keep silence on such steps of police.

Shamim Shahid said police has been using uncontrolled authority which could not be tolerated against the media men. He urge for amendment in Police Act 2001 to gage excessive power of police.

Earlier, Syed Fayyaz Ali Shah in his address praised the unity shown by journalist community and thanked KHUJ for calling a meeting to discuss the issue of attack on Mashriq group.

He pledged to publish news issued by KHUJ and Peshawar Press Club besides ensuring the presence of his media group in every program of KHUJ and Peshawar Press Club.

He disclosed that talks were underway for life insurance of the workers of the Mashriq Group and his organization was providing possible support it workers for medical and other necessities.

He said lamented that police and other personnel of law enforcement agencies were provided relief packages after their death in terror incidents but civilians who were bearing the brunt of the terrorism were not being provided such package.

He demanded of the government to also provide relief for the civilians killed in the terrorism related incidents.

President PPC Saiful Islam said police has crossed the limits as continuing torture of journalist the men in uniform now started attacks on media houses which in no case could be tolerated.

He said media support for police has been considered a right but now the time has come to treat police like they deserve.“ journalists should forge unity as their power is above all any other organization,” he said.

Yusuf Ali, SG KHUJ, said on one side police high ups were seeking support of media in war against terror while on the other side it was targeting media which shows double standard of police.

After the meeting a token protest was staged in the press club premises. The participant chanted slogans against police brutality against media persons, organization and in favour of media.

It may be mentioned here that a heavy contingent of police led by SHOs Asif Sharif and Abidur Rehman barged into premises of the Mashriq Group of Newspapers on Saturday evening and whisked away to guards before beating them and three other staffers without any authorization.