The News: Jang Group, Geo offices under attack

KARACHI: The Sindh National Party (SNP) leaders and workers marched towards the main building of the Jang Group from the Karachi Press Club on Sunday evening and staged a sit-in outside the building.

Some of the activists attacked the offices of the Jang Group and Geo Television and snatched weapons from security guards and resorted to aerial firing. The police fired bullets in the air, hurled teargas shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse the activists. The police arrested 85 people but the arrested persons were released later on.

The violent tactics of the political activists harassed the journalists and staff of the Jang newspaper and Geo television and forced them to barricade themselves inside the building.

Hundreds of SNP activists, led by its Chairman Ameer Bhambhro, staged a violent protest in front of the offices of the Jang Group and Geo Television at I I Chundrigar Road. Meanwhile, some activists tried to break away the protective fences at the Muhammad bin Qasim Road adjacent to the I I Chundrigar Road but police officials and security guards tried to stop them. Resultantly, a scuffle took place between the activists and policemen in which some police officials sustained injuries. Afterwards, the violent SNP workers tortured some of the security guards and resorted to aerial firing after snatching weapons from the security guards.

Meanwhile, a group of protesters attacked the main gate of the offices of the Jang Group and Geo Television and threw away the chairs placed in the reception. The security guards promptly closed the main gate. In this situation, the police fired teargas shells, fired shots in the air and baton charged the protesters.

Some of the protesters received minor injuries in the scuffle but they did not leave their position and continued their sit-in at the Muhammad bin Qasim Road in front of the offices. The police arrested 85 protesters and sent them to the Artillery Ground Police Station. However, the arrested protesters were released after some time. The released persons again joined the protesters.

Hearing about the sit-in, CCPO Karachi Waseem Ahmed reached the spot. He held negotiations with the protesters for some time but he went away without dispersing them. However, the police and rangers vehicles remained posted there till late at night.The members of Jang and Geo Editorial Board visited the SNP chairman and offered to resolve the issue through dialogue.

According to sources, this violent show before the Jang, Geo, The News building was staged at the behest of top notches of the government. The objective, they said, is to keep the media under pressure as the Supreme Court starts hearing in cases against the 18th Amendment.

The sources said this show was also aimed at giving a message to judges and politicising the decision of the court. They said this violent show is part of the policy of using the Sindh Card in favour of the government.