Punjab Govt threatens Dunya News for PIC scoop
Posted On Thursday, February 9, 2012 at at 1:23 PM by OwnerDunya News broke and highlighted the tragic story about wrong medicines that were being given by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).
As a result of these contaminated drugs, more than 137 poor heart patients have lost lives and an uncounted number is still suffering life-threatening allergies.
However, the Punjab government, instead of putting its house in order, has started threatening Dunya News with dire consequences for projecting the cause of the poor people.
Senior anchors and management of Dunya News have been given direct threats.
Journalists and human rights organisations have expressed great concern and resentment over the dictatorial attitude of the Punjab government, and called such steps as attack on free media. Pervez Shaukat, President Federal Union of Journalist, said that any regime s days get numbered when it embarks on such dictatorial steps. He said the Federal Union of Journalist would stage a protest to condemn the threats and to express solidarity with Dunya News.
Similarly, Lahore Press Club President Sarmad Bashir expressed regret over the Punjab government s attitude, saying the media has its duty to expose wrongdoings of the government. Sarmad said the LPC would stage a protest tomorrow on the call of the Federal Union of Journalist.
Revealing the extent of threats, senior anchoperson Mubashar Luqman said that anchors and staff have been warned that their wherabouts and addresses had been listed and anything could happen if ruffling truth about Punjab goverbnment s performance was reported further. He said that the callers would even say that they knew the exact addresses of the schools the kids of Dunya News management go to.
Mubashar Luqman also said while the news of the threats is being aired, certain cable operators have reported that they have been pressurised by the Punjab government to cut off Dunya News transmissions.
He said that Punjab government has also been trying to cover the news of bird flu virus in the province because some PML-N stalwarts have huge stakes in the poultry industry.
It is confirmed separately that Dunya News tranmissions in some areas of Rawalpindi have been cut off.
Meanwhile, Azam Chaudhry, Secretary General Lahore Press Club, said that a fabricated case, invoking section 302, has been registered against Dunya News Chief Executive Mian Amir Mehmood in the Gulberg police station.
Source : http://dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9MiNOaWQ9NjQ1MjE=
