| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
|---|---|---|
| সাংবাদিকদের হরতাল | পাকিস্তান অবজারভার | ৩ সেপ্টেম্বর, ১৯৬৩ |
Protest Cry Throughout Pakistan
JOURNALISTS STRIKE
Unprecedented in the history of Journalism. Journalists, newspaper, pres workers and other newspaper employees all over the country struck work and demonstrated on Monday to protest against the imposition of fresh curbs by the Government in the form of two Provincial Ordinances. There was no newspaper on Tuesday in the country.
From Khyber Pass to Chittagong in all principal cities slogan chanting black-flag-waving journalists held protest meetings and paraded city strects to raise their voice of indignation against the “black laws”.
In East Pakistan at the call of the East Pakistan Union of Journalists, Pressmen and all other newspaper workers observed the protest day and lent their wholehearted support to the four-point demands, namely-repeal of two press Ordinances of East and West Pakistan, revision of all existing Press laws, withdrawal of black-listing of three Dacca dailies and release of arrested journalists, which had earlier been formulated by the E. P. U. J. Committee of Action.
In Dacca the journalists and newspaper workers held a protest meeting at the Press Club, adopted resolutions and brought out huge procession.
The black-band-wearing demonstrators, visibly swayed by a fighting spirit, started assembling at the local Press Club much carlier than 9-30 a.m the scheduled time of the protest meeting.
Akram Khan speaks
In the assembly were Editors of local newspapers, among them was octogenarian Maulana Muhammad Akram Khan of Azad, the oldest living Editor in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Mr. Justice Ibrahim, former Central Law Minister, came to the Press Club, the venue of the protest meeting, wore a black-band and expressed full support to the ‘fight against regimentation of thought’?
Maulana Muhammad Akram Khan set the tone of the day by his speech before the protest rally. Choked with emotion he said, ‘My age and failing strength requires me to lie in bed, but what is happening in the country compels me to rise and add my voice to your protest cry’.
He wondered if he would not after serving the profession of journalism for over 65 years under different regimes; breathe his last in a prison. ‘I shall not be unhappy to do so’; he declared.
