PESHAWAR: The local mediapersons on Sunday demanded early release of two French journalists, detained by police two days ago.

The office-bearers and members of Khyber Union of Journalists, Tribal Union of Journalists and Peshawar Press Club in a meeting on Sunday expressed concern over detention of two French journalists in Peshawar Cantonment.

“Such acts by police are aimed at curbing press freedom and depriving journalists of their rights of access to information,” the meeting said.

The joint meeting through a resolution demanded of the government to release both the foreign journalists as soon as possible.

“Arrests and detentions of foreign journalists are damaging the image of the country in general and Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa province in particular,” the resolution added.

Meanwhile, Peshawar Press Club president Shamim Shahid and general secretary Mohammad Ali Khan have expressed grave concern over manhandling of journalists during a meeting of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl in Mardan.

In a press release issued here on Sunday, they said that it was astonishing that certain stalwarts of JUI-F not only marred the meeting of their own party but also misbehaved with journalists just to get party offices.

The JUI-F activists thrashed a senior journalist in the presence of party’s election commissioner.

They assured their colleagues in Mardan of every kind of support.

They urged the JUI-F leaders particularly provincial chief Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan to take an early notice of the matter otherwise journalists would take steps for ensuring their safety and protection.

Meanwhile, the office-bearers of both Federal Union of Journalists from Peshawar and Khyber Union of Journalists have also shown anger over the incident.

They called upon JUI-F central chief to intervene otherwise the journalists would boycott activities of his party throughout the country.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/31/2010