* Journalists hold protests across country against Wednesday’s attack by doctors on journalists at Jinnah Hospital

LAHORE: The Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) on Thursday submitted another application with Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Pervez Rathore, asking that the first information report filed against the doctors of the Jinnah Hospital be amended to include sections of the Anti-Terrorist Act.

Earlier on Wednesday night, after several journalises were brutally attacked by the doctors at the Jinnah Hospital, Faisal Town police registered case number 237/2010 under Sections 342,379, 427, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against the doctors concerned on the complaint of PUJ President Rai Hussnain Tahir. However, not a single doctor was arrested until the filling of this report. Also on Thursday, journalist across the country staged protests by and showed solidarity with their colleagues in Lahore who were severely beaten by the doctors when they (journalists) tried to cover the death of a woman due to alleged doctors’ negligence at the Jinnah Hospital.

Lahore: In Lahore, a large number of journalists related to almost all sections of the media staged a protest outside the Lahore Press Club (LPC). The protesters held banners and placards with various slogans against the doctors responsible for the attack. They chanted slogans against the doctors’ brutality and demanded their immediate arrests. Addressing the gathering, Rai Hussnain said journalists from across the country were united and would start a wave of protests across Pakistan if the government did not take action against the culprits.

Also speaking at the gathering, PUJ Treasurer Amir Suhail said history stood witness to the fact that the journalist community had never backed down in front of any type of brutality. He said the doctors at the hospital had shown how irresponsible they were when Jinah Hospital Chief Executive Dr Javed Ikram had called senior journalists to settle the issue, but instead of holding dialogues with journalists, the doctors again attacked them. A large number of journalists from Lahore, including Lahore Press Club (LPC) President Sarmad Bashir, Ziaullah Niazi, Nasir Naqwi, Hafiz Abdul Wadood, Shafiq Sharif and Asad Sahi participated in the protest.

Speaking to the gathering, the journalists said that the doctors had stopped reporters from performing their professional duties. ”If action against the responsible doctors is not taken, we will not give media coverage to any of their events,” the speakers said, adding that the protests would continue across the country until action was taken against the responsible doctors. Journalists in other parts of the country also staged protests against the brutal incident in Lahore and showed their solidarity with their colleagues in the provincial metropolis.

Multan: In Multan, a large number of journalists staged a protest while holding placards with slogans, ‘Doctors are Murderers of Humanity’ and ‘Government take action against doctors’. The protestors chanted slogans against the doctors’ brutality and demanded the immediate arrest of Javed Akram and others.

Karachi, Hyderabad: In Karachi and Hyderabad, a large number of journalists staged protest against the incident and demanded the cancellation of the licenses of those doctors who were involved in the attack.
Source: Daily Times
Date:4/2/2010