Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri condemns threats to journalist community

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, the founding leader of Pakistan Awmi Tehreek (PAT), has expressed his grave concern on the terrorists’ threats to the resident of the Journalists’ Colony, Lahore Press Club and the journalistic community on the whole. He said that such threats were an attempt at muzzling the freedom of speech and independence of media. He said that the journalists always played a leading role in exposing the terrorist and extremist attitudes in society. He further said that the journalists were a mirror in which the society could see their reflection. He said that he condemned all such threats handed down to the journalists.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the members of journalist community fell victim to terrorism whey they sacrificed their lives during the course of fulfillment of their professional duties. He said that the number of journalists and reporters killed during preceding years proved that the country was most dangerous place for those who reported truth at the risk of their lives. He said that unending wave of violence and terrorism proved that the latter had become Pakistan’s identity in the world.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that political parties and security and law enforcement agencies of all hues and colours needed to work out a holistic national strategy to root out terrorism from our midst. He said that the failure to work out a clear anti-terror strategy was not only responsible for providing field day to the killers of humanity but also bringing a bad name to the country and its people.

Meanwhile, PAT President Dr Raheeq Abbasi, Central Secretary Information Qazi Faiz-ul-Islam, and Deputy Secretary Information Abdul Hafiz Chaudhry also expressed their deep concern on threats to the journalistic community and demonstrated their unflinching solidarity with them. They said that PAT would stand by the journalists and continue to support their fundamental right to freely express their opinions. They said that the journalists earned their freedom by rendering sacrifices and it was not possible for anyone to browbeat them into submission.