Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan, Senator Siraj-ul-Haq, strongly condemned the government steps against the media and said the rulers wanted to stifle every voice against themselves. He was addressing the journalists rally protesting against the closure of the TV channels at the Mall, while demonstrating complete solidarity with the media on the issue.
He demanded immediate restoration of these news channels as a token of respect for the freedom of the press. Siraj-ul-Haq said that the media was the ears, eyes and tongue of the nation and the closure of TV channels was tantamount to blindfolding the nation's eyes and chopping off its tongue. He said the media had always voiced the grievances of the oppressed and the poor sections of the society.
He said that the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif seemed to have forgotten the time when his party workers had abandoned him but the media stood by him and become his voice. He said that the attitude of the political rulers brought up by dictators was far from democratic. The JI chief said that punishing the entire channel for the wrong done by a single worker was unjustified. He said if these news channels were not restored and threats to others were not stopped, the protest against the rulers would intensify.
Sirajul Haq said that Mian Brothers who had faced prolonged period of distress and now ruling in the centre and in the Punjab, were not expected to go to such extent against the media, which had kept them alive when all others had abandoned them. He called upon the government to withdraw the FIR that had been got registered by a minister against the 92 News channel and tender an apology on this score. Editor in Chief of the New News channel, Chaudhry Abdur Rahman, expressed his gratitude to the JI chief for showing solidarity with the protesting media men.
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