Pakistani journalists’ body concerned over media-government tussle

ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani journalists’ federation has urged the government, media owners, political parties and other democratic forces to shed their differences and unite to save the country from elements who have waged an open war on the country and wanted to push it to the stone age.

Taking serious notice of the on-going tussle between the government and the free

media, particularly the Jung/Geo group, the country’s largest media conglomerate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in a statement Saturday appealed to the government and the media owners to take into account the prevailing situation in the country where all state organs, as also the press, were under attack by terrorists.

Referring to the Geo/Jang group-government tussle, the federation said it was high time it was resolved with prudence in view of the country’s precarious situation.

Making it clear that any attempt to victimise the group would be taken very seriously, the PFUJ noted with concern that attempts were afoot to financially cripple the Jang/Geo group.

The federation pointed out that such tactics had never worked in the past and would not only damage the government’s credibility but would also jeopardize the livelihood of

hundreds and thousands of people associated with the Jang/Geo group directly or

indirectly.

The PFUJ also asked the government to accept the free media’s criticism with an open mind to help improve governance, accountability, transparency and the country’s socio-economic situation.