KARACHI: On the very first day of his assuming the charge of Sindh senior minister, Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Mirza has made a blatant attack on the freedom of press by stopping the Geo News team from coverage, as his guards on his directive snatched away the camera, mike, bullet-proof jackets, helmet and DVs.
Senior provincial minister, Zulfiqar Mirza got the Geo News team maltreated, abused, humiliated and insulted by his guards and himself here early this morning, when the Geo team was making a video of his VVIP convoy near Light House on M.A. Jinnah Road.
Zulfiqar Mirza moving with more than a dozen of mobile vehicles, his guards in uniform and plain clothes on his directive stopped Geo News from coverage on gun point, threatened to kill them and snatched away Geo Newsteam’s camera, mike, bullet-proof jackets, helmet and DVs.
Meanwhile, Zulfiqar Mirza himself joined in the melee used abusive and filthy languages (not printable) naming some of the senior journalists, anchor persons of different Tv programs, Jang Group and the media as a whole. After a while on his directive, the police tried to lift the News team into the mobile, while the sr. minister grabbing Geo News reporter Shoaib Burney and cameraman Zubairuddin by their identity cards hanging with their necks dragged it away.
The journalists have declared this shameful and shocking incident an attack on the freedom of press by the provincial sr. minister, Zulfiqar Mirza and have expressed their grief and anger.
Source
Mirza’s hurling abuses at Geo team widely condemned
KARACHI: Lawyers, journalists, civil society, politicians and many other have widely condemned the harassments and maltreatments of the Geo News team and termed it an attack on the freedom of press.
Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e- Hadis chief Senator Sajid Mir in a statement said that those gagging the press with state force should not forget the fate of autocratic Musharraf.
Punjab Union of Journalist General Secretary, Wasim Faruque Shahid said that the highhandedness meted out to the Geo News team was the worst manifestation of fascism.
Judicial Activism Panel chairman, Azhar Siddique in his condemnation statement said that the senior minister Zulfiqar Mirza’s misbehavior with the Geo News team was a contravention of the constitution.
Electronic News Cameramen Association President Waheed Butt also termed the sr. minister’s attack on Geo team an attempt to gag the voice of truth.
Peshawar journalists’ organizations called the threat to kill Geo News team by Zulfiqar Mirza a brazen demonstration of state terrorism. Peshawar Press Club and Khayber Union of Journalists’ presidents expressing their shock and anger on threats to kill strongly condemned it.
Peshawar Press Club President Saiful Islam said that the politicians should patiently bear the criticisms and advised Zulfiqar Mirza to focus on Karachi situation instead hurling threats to Geo team.
Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e- Hadis chief Senator Sajid Mir in a statement said that those gagging the press with state force should not forget the fate of autocratic Musharraf.
Punjab Union of Journalist General Secretary, Wasim Faruque Shahid said that the highhandedness meted out to the Geo News team was the worst manifestation of fascism.
Judicial Activism Panel chairman, Azhar Siddique in his condemnation statement said that the senior minister Zulfiqar Mirza’s misbehavior with the Geo News team was a contravention of the constitution.
Electronic News Cameramen Association President Waheed Butt also termed the sr. minister’s attack on Geo team an attempt to gag the voice of truth.
Peshawar journalists’ organizations called the threat to kill Geo News team by Zulfiqar Mirza a brazen demonstration of state terrorism. Peshawar Press Club and Khayber Union of Journalists’ presidents expressing their shock and anger on threats to kill strongly condemned it.
Peshawar Press Club President Saiful Islam said that the politicians should patiently bear the criticisms and advised Zulfiqar Mirza to focus on Karachi situation instead hurling threats to Geo team.
