Daily Times

LAHORE: A large number of members of the Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Lahore Press Club (LPC) along with Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, members of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), civil society, NGOs and residents of Okara staged a protest demonstration against Punjab Police, especially the district police officer (DPO) Okara, at Chairing Cross, The Mall on Friday.

The police had arrested 17 local journalists of Okara and registered fake cases against them.

The protesters, including women and children, were carrying placards inscribed with different slogans against Okara Police who ‘misused’ their power. The protestors alleged that the Okara police officials were involved in criminal activities, including support of drug dealers, land mafia, brothel houses, and gambling dens besides involvement in other heinous criminal activities.

Senior journalists Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Shahzad Hussain Butt, Rana Azeem and Amir Sohail, PPP leaders Faiza Malik and Shokat Basra, PTI leader Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, Labour Party activist Tariq Farooq and number of citizens were present on the occasion.

PUJ President Shahzad Butt said that they had sent names of five members to constitute a committee regarding the issue, but they are still awaiting response, adding that that they would get justice at any cost.

PUJ Sectary Amir Sohail told Daily Times that on the direction of DPO Okara, police registered fake criminal cases, including 7ATA, against 17 Okara local journalists over publishing or airing the corrupt activities of police in their news papers and channels. He said that a numbers of Okara residents, who were suffering of different kinds of threats by Okara Police, reached Lahore on their own to join the protest against Okara Police.

The speakers said that if the Punjab chief minister did not take action against the concerned police officers, then the protest could be spread in other districts of the province as well. The protesters also demanded that all journalists of Okara, detained in fake FIRs, must be released as the earliest.

Later, the protesters entered the Punjab Assembly premises after breaking all the barricades. They staged a sit-in and chanted slogans in favour of their demands, independence of journalism and against the police.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal formed a committee comprising of provincial ministries Sher Ali Khan and Dr Waseem Akhtar on the issue.

The journalists, including newly elected Press Gallery President Qamar Bhatti, General Sectary Ali Akbar and former LPC president Arshad Ansari, then staged a walkout from the Punjab Assembly, demanding immediate sacking of Okara DPO Rana Faisal.