The artistes of NWFP and literati joined on Saturday the call made by the journalist community for the safe recovery of Daily Express Resident Editor Sohail Qalander and his friend Niaz Mohammad.
The artistes and employees of the Pakistan Television expressed their solidarity with the journalist community by staging protest outside the Peshawar Press Club demanding safe recovery of Peshawar-based newsperson and his friend.
The protesters were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans for release of Sohail and Niaz. President of the Artistes Welfare Association Zoom (Awaz) Javed Babar and Central PTV Employees Union President Saleem Khan led the protest.
Later, while talking to Action Committee Chairman Shamim Shahid, the representatives of the artistes association and PTV employees union showed concern over the delay on the part of the government for the safe recovery of the newsperson and his friend. They shared the concern and anguish of the media persons over the kidnapping and non-recovery of their co-professional.
Making a passionate appeal to the NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai and Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, the representatives of the artistes and PTV employees pledged their full backing to the journalist community in their efforts for securing the safe release of Sohail and his friend.
Apart from the office-bearers, a sufficient number of noted Pashto and Hindko artistes turned up at the Press Club to express their support to the protesting journalists. Prominent among them were two laureates of Presidential Pride of Performance Award, Ismail Shahid (Pashto) and Najeebullah Anjum (Hindko).
A literary, cultural and social welfare organisation, Gandhara Hindko Board, also rallied behind the journalists to demand safe release of the kidnapped persons. The support was extended when office-bearers of the organisation visited the Peshawar Press Club and met the action committee members.
Talking to the action committee members, headed by senior journalist Shamim Shahid, Vice-President of the Board, Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul, General Secretary, Mohammad Ziauddin, and Cultural Adviser, Dr Salahuddin, deplored the delay in the safe recovery of Sohail Qalander and Niaz Mohammad.
The literati noted with concern that three weeks had passed to the incident, but the kidnapped persons remained untraced. They offered all-out support to the journalists in their efforts for having the kidnapped persons released. Stressing protection to media persons, the board reps urged the government to secure the release by taking and expediting the steps that were urgently needed to end the ordeal of the two families and unrest of the media persons.
It may be noted here that the 38-year-old city newsperson and his friend were kidnapped from Hayatabad on the night of January 02, 2007. The vehicle they were travelling in (AKD 325) was found abandoned in the jurisdiction of the Tatara Police Station in Hayatabad.
Daily Express is a reputed Urdu-language daily of Peshawar. The newspaper is brought out by the Century Publications, which is owned by Sultan Ali Lakhani. The daily appears from 10 big cities of Pakistan - Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur. The paper was launched from Peshawar on September 24, 2002 and Sohail Qalander was appointed as its first Resident Editor.
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