Pakistan journalist community to protest manhandling

Pakistan's journalistic community called for a countrywide protest Tuesday over the attack on a female anchor and other journalists by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers in Lahore.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Council of Pakistan Press Clubs called for protesting the misbehaviour and manhandling of journalists by PTI activists during the shutdown they forced in Lahore Monday, Geo News reported.

The Geo News team who were attacked in Lahore included anchor Sana Mirza, senior political analyst Sohail Waraich, senior reporters Ameen Hafeez, Asim Naseer, Jawad Malik, Ahmad Faraz and cameraman Raja Amir.

The community will hold a protest rally in front of the National Press Club (NPC) and similar demonstrations would also be held in other cities, including Lahore and Karachi.

Anchor Sana Mirza, who was providing live updates for Geo News from Lahore, was repeatedly pelted with bottles and foul language was also used against her.

The PTI activists flung a glass projectile at reporter Ameen Hafiz that struck him on the forehead.

Presidents of the NPC and Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) have urged the journalists to participate in the protest in large numbers to show the PTI and other political parties that they would not make any compromise over the freedom of expression.

The protest rally in Islamabad would be led by PFUJ president Afzal Butt, NPC president Shahrayar Khan and RIUJ president Ali Raza Alvi.