The cases were filed against them for defying a ban on rallies in the capital by protesting against fresh curbs imposed on media by President Musharraf.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan police on Tuesday registered cases against more than 250 journalists and several political leaders for defying a ban on rallies in the capital by protesting against fresh curbs imposed on media by President Pervez Musharraf.
The journalists were charged under section 144 for violating the ban on rallies. They were also accused of interfering in the government's functioning, Secretary General of the Press Club, Afzal Butt, said.
Police have registered FIRs against the media persons, he said.
The journalists had taken out a rally in Islamabad on Monday and several scribes and political leaders delivered speeches in front of the Prime Minister's Secretariat against the new curbs imposed on TV channels by Musharraf through an ordinance empowering Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to seal premises and seize equipment of the channels that flouted the rules.
The case has been registered under section 188 in which the allegations of violation of law, interference in the government functioning and delivering anti-government speeches were levelled against the journalists.
The journalists against whom the cases were booked included Director News of Aaj TV, Talat Hussain; Chief Reporter of Aaj TV and President of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club, Mushtaq Minhas; General Secretary of Press club Afzal Butt; and others like Tariq Usmani, Fauzia Shahid, CR Shamsi and Mazhar Abbas.
Former Premier Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N's Central Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal; former federal minister and leader of Christian community, J Salik; and traders' leader Jehangir Akhtar have also been named in the FIR. They have been accused of instigating the journalists to protest against the government.
However, no arrests were made immediately.
Butt said the journalists would not bow to such actions, adding that these tactics could not stop them from their struggle for free media.
He said the journalists are also ready to court arrests. However, he said if the police tried to raid their houses to arrest them, they would strongly resist it.
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