On the call given by Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ), local journalists held a rally from Lahore Press Club (LPC) to Punjab Assembly on Saturday to protest police attack on Geo News Islamabad office.
The rally was led by President PUJ, Arif Hamid Bhatti and President Lahore Press Club, Arshad Ansari, local journalists marched from Press Club to Assembly Hall. The participants of the rally raised full-throated slogans against the government for police attack on the GEO office.
PPP Punjab President, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Qasim Zia, Deputy Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly, Rana Sanaullah, Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, lawyers, doctors and a few political activists also joined the protest of journalists. Addressing the participants outside Punjab Assembly, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other leaders expressed complete solidarity with the journalistic community.
They said that attack on GEO office was attack on freedom of press. LPC President Arshad Ansari said on the occasion that they are ready to render any sacrifice for the cause of freedom of press. On the occasion, the participants also raised slogans of 'go Musharraf go'.
According to reports, in many cities of Punjab including Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Okara, Faisalabad, Sargodah, Kasur, Shahkot, Shorkot, Pindi Bhattian, Pattoki, Mianwali, Jhelum, Arifwala, Chiniot and Kabeerwala, several journalist organisations, bar associations, religious and political parties, doctors and different other social organisations staged protest demonstrations against attack on Geo News office.