A large number of journalists on Friday staged a demonstration outside the Punjab Assembly. They protested against the Punjab government, the PML-N leadership and the Punjab Police for patronising the land grabbers and the registration of FIRs against the journalists.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Pervez Shaukat, Lahore Press Club (LPC) President Sarmad Bashir and Secretary General Azam Chaudhary spoke on the occasion. PFUJ President Pervez Shaukat warned the government of a nationwide protest movement if it failed to withdraw cases registered against the journalists within 15 days.
He said that the journalists had no political agenda as they were thankful to the former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi who had allotted a piece of land for a housing society meant for journalists. “We will also be equally thankful to the incumbent CM Shahbaz Sharif if he orders an action against the land grabbers to retrieve the land occupied by them”, he added. He accused some of the members of provincial assembly belonging to PML-N including Imran Goraya, Rana Tajammul, Mian Marghoob and others who had been backing the land grabbers.
LPC President Sarmad Bashir also demanded of the Punjab government to immediately vacate the occupied land. He also read a poem of Habib Jalib called “Dastoor”.
