Islamabad: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and all affiliated Unions have strongly protested against massive scale sacking of media persons from Newspapers and TV channels on the call of PFUJ. Countrywide protest rallies were held in all major cities and towns attended by large number of Journalists and Newspaper workers belonging to print and electronic media. They chanted slogans against economic massacre of media persons by media owners and demanded of immediate implementation of 7th wage award. Journalists in one voice rejected all the unjust and cruel acts to remove media workers without any cogent reason. Protest rallies were held in Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Abbotabad and other parts of the country.
The PFUJ has urged government to take notice of brutality of media owners and non implementation of 7th wage award. “Owners are oppressing the media workers by sacking of hundreds of journalists from different newspapers and private TV channels and resorting other illegal and unlawful tactics for depriving legitimate rights of media workers. Government must act promptly to stop media owners from victimization and arbitrary acts against journalists. Hostility against media workers may trigger severe disappointment among media persons, it can demoralize the sprite of media men committed for freedom of expression, rule of law and true democracy in country.”
The PFUJ organized main rally from PFUJ Secretariat which ended at National Press Club Islamabad. Rally was led by President PFUJ Pervez Shuakat, Secretary General Shamsul Islam Naz and attended by the journalists from Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists and members national press club. Protestors chanted slogans against media owners their victimization and demanded immediate implementation of 7th wage award.
The PFUJ chief Mr. Pervez Shuakat addressed the rally, condemned the brutalities of newspapers & channel owners. He demanded to restore journalists on their job, “it is duty of the government to implement 7th wage award to end panic ridden from journalists. Media owners are victimizing due to indifference attitude of government. The PFUJ has received a number of complaints from all major cities from media persons which have pointed out that their services have been terminated with out any reason under false pretext of “financial constraints”. Media owners are employing immoral, illegal tactics for cow down the journalists.” The PFUJ chief said.
The Secretary General of the PFUJ Shamsul Islam Naz also condemned the acts of sacking of journalists and termed it uncalled and malafied of media owners. “Such acts are violations of Provisions of Newspaper Employees (Conditions of service Act), Labour laws, ILO convention and Natural justice. In wake of price hike and rampant unemployment, the media management decision of removing large scale media men from service is nothing but mockery of law and fluting the rule of law with impunity,” Secretary General added.
###########
Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General, PFUJ
Muhammad Farouk
Project Coordinator
IFJ Project Office in Pakistan:
PFUJ Secretariat, 12 – Nazim ud Din Road, F-6/1, Islamabad.
Mob: +92-321-5203360
Tel: +92-51-2870220-1
Posted in 
Tags: 
