BAHAWALPUR/TOBA TEK SINGH/
KHANEWAL/MAILSI/SHEIKHUPURA
Religious and political parties, Cable Operators, lawyers and civil society activists continued protests and took rallies against the blasphemy in the morning show of a local TV and demanded cancellation of licence of the channel.
According to details, in Bahawalpur Cable Operators staged a protest against the Jang and Geo TV, demanded ban on the channel’s broadcast and publication of the group’s newspapers.
They protested against media group in front of Bahawalpur Press Club. The protest was led by Sheikh Niaz and a large number of cable operators from different areas of south Punjab participated in the protest. The protesters condemned the behaviour of the Geo and Jang representatives with the Cable Operators at Karachi Press Club and demanded the government to register a case against the group owner and management.
Meanwhile, Majlis Wahdatul Muslameen, Jamaat-e-Islami and Shabab-e-Milli took out a rally against the Geo TV and Jang Group. The protesters including a large number of women, children and lawyers were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the management of the TV channel, demanding cancellation of its licence.
MWM General Secretary Azhar Hussain Zaidi, Muhammad Advocate Zahid Qayyum and Advocate Zafar Iqbal addressed the protesters.
They said that legal action should be taken against the host of the Geo TV’s morning show and owner for committing blasphemy against the companions of Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) which was seen by the whole world and had hurt sentiments of millions of Muslims.
In Khanewal, the Tehsil Bar Association observed complete strike and boycott of courts against a local TV channel for airing a blasphemous programme. The lawyer condemned the management of the media group and demanded a complete ban on its working. The lawyers also passed condemnation resolution.
In Toba Tek Singh, the District Bar Association members condemned Geo channel for committing blasphemy in its morning show. In a meeting on Saturday with its President Mian Naveed Mansoor in the chair, the lawyers demanded action against the channel.
Meanwhile in Mailsi, a large number of people from all walks of life protested against blasphemous programme of a local private TV. The protesters chanted slogans and demanded the government to suspend licence of the channel.
Meanwhile, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) organised a meeting to protest against the TV channel at Mailsi Press Club and different political and religious parties workers participated in the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, speakers said that management of the TV channel could not escape the wrath of Almighty Allah. They asked Ulema and religious scholars to elaborate that nobody could forgive anyone’s blasphemous deeds, but Allah.
They said that the wicked act of private TV show had terribly hurt the sentiments of billions of Muslims all over the world. They unanimously passed a condemnation resolution against the blasphemous programme of the private TV channel. The resolution demanded Pemra to take stern action against the TV channel.
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Chief Organiser Dr Iqbal Saeedi, President Maulana Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Saeedi, Jamia Misbahul Uloom-i-Islamia Nazim Mufti Rab Nawaz Saeedi, Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam Tehsil President Noor Muhammad Shaheen, Sheikh Abdul Qadoos from ATI, Abdul Qasim Khan from Tanzeem Ahle Sunnat, Sunni Tehreek District President Muhammad Asghar Qadri, PML-N Youth Wing Tehsil President Ch Ghayour Aslam and President Mailsi Press Club also attended the meeting.
Similarly in Sheikhupura, a large number of cable operators took out a protest rally, demanding to cancellation of licence of a local TV channel forthwith.
The participants of the rally started from press club, marched on main roads and street of the city and reached Yadgar Park where they staged a sit-in. The speakers on this occasion said that Geo TV had lost its credibility in the eyes of the public by telecasting a shameful and desecrated programme.
The cable operators vowed that they would not air any programme any of the Geo TV channels.