While denouncing the countrywide blockage of private news channels transmission, protesting journalists, lawyers and political activists demanded of the government to allow country's news media to operate without restrictions. The government has blocked transmission of three private news channels including Aaj Television in most parts of the country because of what many people believe is live coverage of Karachi carnage and prevailing judicial crisis. ARY One World and Geo Television are also off air in major cities.
Hundreds of journalists and other protestors rallied here from Parade Avenue to Prime Minister Secretariat and chanted full throated slogans against President Musharraf and Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani.
Though heavy contingent of police was deployed yet charged journalists overturned all the barbed wires erected on roads leading towards Prime Minister Secretariat.
They held a noisy protest right in front of the PM Secretariat and made it clear that the government can never suppress the media. They termed the Pemra ordinance a 'black law' that exposes government's tall claims of media freedom.
The Constitution Avenue echoed with the chants of "Shame Shame" and "We Want Freedom". Journalists from Karachi and other parts of the country also joined the protest in front of the Prime Minister Secretariat that was heavily guarded by police and law enforcement agencies.
The demonstrators called the curbs an attack on the fundamental and constitutional right of expression. The international media also covered the noisy demonstration, an indication that the government would not be able to hide facts from the world.
Earlier, in the day, scores of journalists, lawyers and representatives of different non-governmental organisations held a protest demonstration in front of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) office and chanted slogans against President Musharraf and Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani.
It is pertinent to mention here that no body from Pemra turned up to hear protesting journalists, lawyers and civil society organisations. The private news channels have been pressurised and attacked since judicial crisis began on March 9 followed by Karachi carnage on May 12.
Riot police attacked Geo Television Islamabad office back on March 16 whereas scores of armed persons fired at Aaj Television and Business Recorder office in Karachi on May 12. International media watchdogs have also reacted promptly and opposed the censorship imposed by the Musharraf-led government on private news channels.