Journalists press for BOL unblocking

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 12 June 2015

Scores of journalists protested in Islamabad and Karachi against the government's actions against BOL News. They demand unblocking of the channel's transmission and payment of salaries to its staff.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: Scores of journalists in Islamabad and Karachi held separate sit-ins to protest against the government for blocking transmission of BOL News and seizing the channel’s bank accounts. “If the government doesn’t meet our demands to unblock transmission of the channel and unfreeze bank accounts to pay salaries to journalists attached with BOL, we will stage a sit-in Tuesday in front of the Supreme Court,” said Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt while addressing the protestors. He said the journalist community is standing by workers of BOL and would continue pressing the government to unblock the channel’s transmission. Journalists in Karachi held a sit-in on Shahrah-e-Faisal for five hours while the sit-in by Islamabad journalists continued for some two hours on Embassy Road. Federal Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid had assured PFUJ and journalists attached with the channel on June 4 their salaries would be paid within a week. However, nothing materialised. The government suspended the channe's transmission following a New York Times story on Axact’s alleged involvement in selling fake degrees to students.

KEY POINTS:

• Journalists held sit-ins in Islamabad and Karachi.
• Protests were in response to blocking of BOL News transmission.
• PFUJ President Afzal Butt outlined demands for unblocking and salary payments.
• Sit-in in Karachi lasted five hours, while Islamabad's lasted two.
• Government had previously assured payment of salaries within a week.