Chitral rally calls for ban on Geo News

Protesters demand that Geo TV and Jang publications should be banned. [/box]Report Gul Hamaad Farooqi

CHITRAL, April 25: To express solidarity with the Pakistan Army and its spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a group of people gathered at PIA Chowk on Friday and chanted slogans against Geo TV for accusing the ISI of attacking its anchorperson Hamid Mir.

The participants of the gathering, led by Haji Abdul Wadood, a senior worker of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Chitral, also chanted slogans in support of the armed forces. They also protested against what they called the irresponsible reporting and attitude of Geo News. Speakers on the occasion said Pak Army and ISI were our national assets and the nation was proud of them. They also condemned the life attempt on Hamid Mir but lamented that Geo News had without any proof pointed fingers at Director General ISI Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam for the attack. They said Geo News was blackmailing our national heroes and defence forces. The participants held the hands of each other to express solidarity with the ISI and the Army. The protesters were also carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans to express solidarity with ISI and the Army and condemning Geo News. Those who spoke on the occasion included Qari Jamal Nasir, Raiztu Billah, Maulana Abdul Sami, Saboor, Sajjad Ahmad, Haji Abdu Wadood. Talking to this correspondent, some of the participants said they strongly condemned Geo News for blackmailing and defaming ISI and the Army. They said Geo seemed to be an anti-Pakistan channel and never followed ethics of journalism. They demanded that the federal government should ban Geo News and the Jang publications to save the nation from their anti-Pakistani propaganda and slow poisoning in the mind of the people against Pakistan and its national organizations.]]>