Backing BOL: Journalists to disrupt Metro Bus inauguration

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 2 June 2015

Journalists are planning a protest to disrupt the Metro Bus inauguration if the government does not act on their demands for BOL News. Afzal Butt announced the protest and criticized the government's actions against the channel.
Summary

ISLAMABAD: Journalists and their families will protest on the Metro Bus route and disrupt its inauguration ceremony if the government fails to unfreeze bank accounts of BOL News and restores its transmission. Afzal Butt, President Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), said this Tuesday while addressing protestors in front of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s building.

The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus project will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reportedly this week. A large number of charged journalists protested in front of PEMRA offices against the government for blocking transmission of BOL and freezing the channel’s accounts.

“We had given a 48-hour deadline to the government (to unfreeze bank accounts and allow BOL to start its transmission) but unfortunately nobody listened,” he said. He said if the demands aren’t met, journalists from the twin cities along with their families will protest on the Metro Bus route and will disrupt the inauguration.

Chairman PEMRA Chaudhry Rashid also joined the protestors to express solidarity with them and said that he has acted upon the government’s advice to block the channel’s transmission. “We are bound to follow government’s instructions,” he said, advising journalists to move court against the decision.

Senior journalist Mushtaq Minhas said that PEMRA was an impotent body but working actively against workers of BOL. “PEMRA should allow BOL to start its transmission from first of Ramadan,” he said.

KEY POINTS: