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PPP expresses solidarity with media while APDM protests too

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has expressed its solidarity with the journalists of the print and electronic media and held a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) Friday.

The workers of the PPP were carrying flags and portraits of chairperson Benazir Bhutto, and were chanting slogans against the Emergency while showing their support for the free media. They were also joined by the sacked judges.

PPP Central Information Secretary Sherry Rehman, PPP Sindh Information Secretary Dr Fehmida Mirza, PPP Karachi Division President Rashid Rabbani addressed the demonstration.

A large number of police officers have been deployed outside the KPC and on roads linking to the club were blocked. Large numbers of PPP workers along with office bearers of the PPP Karachi division of different party wings such as Waqar Mehadi, Ejaz Durrani, Afaq Shahid, PPP labour division leader Lateef Mughal, Habib Junadi, Masroor Ashan, Farazana Baloch former MPAs, Shazia Marri, Nasreen Chandio and other PPP ticket holders turned up.

Rehman said that the party was a champion of the rights of a free media and she vowed that along with the journalists it would continue its struggle against the dictatorship. She added that the largest party of Pakistan assured journalists that they were not alone in their struggle but the PPP would be present with them, side by side, in their struggle for media freedom. She also went on to state that it was the PPP that had initially brought laws for the freedom of the media.

PPP Sindh Information Secretary Dr Fehmida Mirza said that the PPP believed that without free media in the country, the country could not progress and that a free media was the real essence of democracy. She also went on to state that the PPP would continue its struggle for freedom of the judiciary, media and parliament to bring the country back on the real track, which had been derailed by the military dictator.

More than 60 APDM, MMA activists detained and released: More than 60 activists of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), who were protesting against Emergency rule, were arrested and released after four hours Friday.

Preedy Police Station’s DSP Salman Hussein told Daily Times that all activists were released without any FIRs.

MMA and APDM, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Awami Tehrik (AT), Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party (STPP), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Pakhtoon Khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) and Jamiat Ulema Islam-F (JUI-F) activists managed to gather near Empress Market, Saddar although all inlets opening towards the venue had been closed by the police.

The activists chanted slogans against Gen. Pervez Musharraf on which the police started baton-charging. Several MMA and APDM activists were injured as a result.

More than 60 activists, including MMA’s former MPA Sindh, Younus Barai, Shabab Milli Karachi president Yousuf Muneer, deputy leader of Al-Khidmat group at CDGK city council Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Qayyum, Badarul Islam, Abu Qayyam Farooqui, Dr Muhammad Siddique, Salahuddin, Abid Akbar, Khalid Rehman, Muhammad Mukhtar, Iqbal Mirchi advocate and Anis-ur-Rehman, after arresting them.

Several bearded men were also hurt and detained as they were suspected of being APDM and MMA activists.

“APDM and MMA will continue their struggle for democracy until it was restored,” said Barai. He condemned the arrests of political leaders and activists and considered such acts unconstitutional.

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