Rejecting the usurpation act, will take out a rally from Punjab Assembly to Chief Minister’s House on February 1: Rana Azeem

A Strike will be held in front of the Parliament House in Islamabad on February 14: Secretary General PFUJ

The current government has killed freedom of expression: Opposition Leader Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmed Bhachar

If the government does not withdraw the cruel PECA Act, then there will be a fight and it will be fierce: Speakers

A full-scale protest was organized by the Punjab Union of Journalists against the cruel PECA Act at Charing Cross in front of the Punjab Assembly, in which senior journalist leadership, members of the Punjabi Union, Electronic Media Reporters Association (EMRA), National Media Association of Pakistan, Court Journalists Association, Education Reporters Association, Health Reporters Association, leaders of lawyers’ organizations and important figures from different walks of life also participated. Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar, members of the Provincial Assembly Sarfaraz Dogar, Tayab Rashid Sindhu, Farrukh Javed, President of the PTI Lahore Imtiaz Sheikh, and central leader of the PTI Aliya Hamza also expressed solidarity with the journalists in the form of a delegation.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary General of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Rana Muhammad Azeem said that we reject the cruel and usurping PECA Act that distorts basic human rights. We will not accept any such move that would curtail the fundamental right to freedom of expression. He said that we journalists have made sacrifices in the past and will not shy away from making any sacrifices now.

On February 1st next week, in a strong protest against this cruel act, the journalist community will join hands with all patriotic and constitutional citizens to take out a rally from the Punjab Assembly to the Chief Minister’s House and on February 14, a sit-in will be held in front of the Parliament House in Islamabad. Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar said that the current government has killed every citizen who writes, speaks and says, including the media.

This cruel move of the government is unacceptable in any way. PTI is protesting strongly against this black law in the assemblies as well and will join every protest with the journalist community. The protest was attended by former presidents of Lahore Press Club Azam Chaudhry, Moin Azhar, Chairman Punjabi Media Group and Punjabi Union Mudassar Iqbal Butt, former senior vice president of Supreme Court Bar Association Ghulam Murtaza Chaudhry, former secretaries of Lahore Press Club Babar Dogar and Shadab Riaz, President Punjabi Media Group Nadeem Raza.

President EMR Asif Butt, Chairman National Media Association Pakistan Chaudhry Shahbaz Arain, Secretary EMR Saleem Sheikh, Vice President Saima Nawaz Chaudhry, former senior vice president Mujtaba Bajwa, members of the governing body of Lahore Press Club Syed Badar Saeed, Mehboob Ahmed Chaudhry, Shakir Awan, senior journalist Naeem Mustafa, human rights spokesperson Tahseen Haider, President Punjab Union of Journalists Mian Shahid Nadeem, General Secretary Qazi Tariq Aziz, Vice President Aamir Sohail, Treasurer Adnan.

Lodhi, journalist leader Shahid Chaudhry, Gulzar Mustafai, Muhammad Shuja, Adnan Bhatti Joint Secretary PUJ, Hamid Khan, Chaudhry Qasim Jatt, Chaudhry Afzal, Salman Awan, Muhammad Usman and others also spoke. The speakers said that no society can be called alive until it allows freedom of expression, in societies where there is a practice of suppressing voices, nothing remains except suffocation and uncertainty.

The current government is trying to strangle the media so that the very idea of ​​criticizing it disappears. The speakers, while announcing to fight the case of freedom of expression, said that we will not hesitate to make any sacrifice for human rights and freedom of the press. The government will not be allowed to commit fascism under the guise of fake news. The current government has resorted to high tactics, by making more cruel amendments to the already existing infamous act, the basic human rights given in the Constitution of Pakistan are being negated. In civilized societies, the practice of suppressing voices is considered intolerable.

We will not allow anyone to restrict our right to write, speak and say, the Supreme Court should take suo motu notice against this cruel act. Under the leadership of PFUJ and PUJ, the case of freedom of the press will be fought on every platform including the court, the powerful circles that suppress voices should know that the pen workers have taken an oath to nurture the pen and the pen at all times.

If the government does not withdraw this cruel PECA Act, then there will be a fight and it will be fierce. The journalistic leadership said that they know how to defend the intellectual legacy of movement journalists and leaders like Minhaj Barna and Nisar Usmani, we have also clashed with the worst dictators, the current government should not be in any misunderstanding, this cruel act should be withdrawn immediately.