By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
PESHAWAR: Journalists under the banner of Khyber Union of Journalists (KHUJ) staged a protest outside Peshawar Press Club, demanding the immediate withdrawal of an FIR registered against senior journalist Irfan Khan under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The demonstration was attended by KHUJ president Kashifuddin Syed, Peshawar Press Club President Muhammad Riaz, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ workers ‘ president Shamim Shahid, former KHUJ president Nasir Hussain and dozens of journalists. The participants chanted slogans in support of press freedom.
They termed the case an attack on press freedom.
Addressing the protest, Kashifuddin Syed said the PECA law was a “black law” that had already been rejected by the journalist community and lodging cases under it was unacceptable. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR against Irfan Khan, warning that otherwise, the move would be seen as an attempt to muzzle the press.
The speakers stressed that the survival of democracy is linked to an independent media, and silencing journalists amounts to restricting the people’s fundamental right to information.
