Journalist bodies demand immediate restoration of all TV channels

LAHORE: Journalist bodies on Saturday demanded immediate restoration of all private TV channels across Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) and Lahore Press Club (LPC) officials held a protest at LPC demanding restoration of all the channels right away.

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Several news channels were blacked out in the capital and other parts of the country after the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) decided to take private television channels off air during a police crackdown on Islamabad protesters.

The Pemra had taken this decision on orders of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

“Even dictatorship did not take such an action that has been taken by the democratic government,” said the president PUJ.

The government should immediately restore broadcasting of channels, demanded the president PFUJ.

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The secretary LPC said the government was taking revenge from channels for showing truth.

Earlier, Pemra had asked the TV channels to stop live coverage of Islamabad protest.

PBA demands action against those who vandalized journalists’properties

Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) on Saturday demanded from the authorities to take action against those who vandalized journalists’ properties.

Condemning violence against journalists covering Faizabad Intersection sit-in protest and protests in their support across Pakistan, PBA demanded action against the culprits who harmed scribes.

The protestors today attacked three DSNG vans of different TV channels and set Samaa TV’s DSNG van on fire.

A reporter of Dunya news channel and two reporters of Geo channel were injured during the protest sit-in.