ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: “That was harsh era. We knew what we were doing and we knew the consequences but we did have only two options. We could keep quiet and let Ziaul Haq kill freedom of press or to stand against his barbaric rule to stop purge of press of freedom by offering our bodies and souls. We went for later one”.
This was expressed by Nasir Zaidi while talking to Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency in Islamabad on Saturday before addressing at National Press Club to observe 39th anniversary of flogging of journalists on May 13, 1978 by the than dictator and Chief Martial Law Administrator General Ziaul Haq.
After 1977 Martial Law, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) decided to stand against closure of Daily Musawaat and launched a campaign of hunger strike in Karachi on December 1, 1977.
Hunger strike was a shocking success for military rulers as journalists and press workers from all over the country came on roads and Dictator Ziaul Haq had to lift ban on Daily Musawaat Karachi within eight days.
Ziaul Haq decided to ban newspapers in Lahore where politico-religious party Jamaat-i-Islami was strong within the cadre of journalism and Daily Musawaat Lahore was banned along with Al-Fatah and Meyar—two weeklies. This decision of Martial Law rule ignited wide spread protests by the journalist community as journalists and press workers launched another hunger strike in Lahore from April 30 to May 30, 1978.
Ziaul Haq decided to purge PFUJ movement and large scale arrests of journalists started on first week of May 1978. The government used Martial Law Regulations and jailed top leaders of PFUJ and decided to lashed them also.
Khawar Naeem Hashami, Iqbal Jaferi and Nasir Zaidi were convicted and they were flogged while flogging of Masoodullah Khan was suspended on the intervention of the doctor on medical grounds.
Martial Law government ensured maximum coverage of the flogging and families of army officials were invited to watch flogging as a day of fun and recreation. State run television and state run Radio arranged special broadcast shows. The philosophy behind maximum promotion of this event was to spread horror among other journalists and people of Pakistan at large to tell that how would government deal with those who would try to stand against Martial Law regime.
Ziaul Haq managed to install a pro-Martial Law PFUJ through four journalists belonging to Jamaat-i-Islami. The new group of PFUJ was given the name of “Rashid Siddiqui Group”. However real PFUJ continued its campaign against censorship and journalists kept offering their arrests and hundreds of journalists were jailed and convicted under Marial Law Ordinance.
Martial Law government announced punishment of 10 lashes and 25 years of imprisonment for newspapers those could be involved in criticising Ziaul Haq or Martial Law rule.
This year PFUJ and all other units of Unions of Journalists all over the country are observing May 13 as “Yum-e-Azm”— to reiterate commitment to offer sacrifices for protecting freedom of press and freedom of expression. President of PFUJ Afzal Butt while talking to this news agency said that sacrifices of journalists would never go to drain and they would be remembered and honoured by journalist community of Pakistan for all times to come. It may be mentioned that PFUJ under the leadership of Afzal Butt played pivotal role for ensuring rights of journalists and freedom of journalism in Pakistan.
Impressive ceremonies are being held to observe 39th anniversary of flogging of journalists all over Pakistan while main events is being held by PFUJ at National Press Club in Islamabad.
Parliamentarians, journalists and members of civil society are gathering to pay tributes to journalists like Khawar Naeem Hashami, Iqbal Jaferi, Nasir Zaidi, Masoodullah Khan, late Nisaar Usmani, I. A Rehman, Hussian Naqi, Iftikhar Ahmad, late Zafar Yaab and many more who sacrificed their youth and were jailed but never bowed down to military rule in Pakistan during Ziaul Haq and Musharraf’s Martial law rules.
