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Lasi asks Nawaz to apologies for attack on Mashriq

ISLAMABAD: The Minister of State for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis, Ghulam Akbar Lasi, has condemned the cowardly attack on the offices of Daily Mashriq, Quetta by the workers of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and termed it as a direct attack on the Freedom of Press.

In a message received from Makkah, the Minister said he was shocked to hear about the ransacking of the offices of Daily Mashriq and the manhandling of journalists by the PML(N) workers.

The Minister said that the freedom of the press was part and parcel of a democratic system but the Muslim League(N) had little respect for it. He said the PPP government after coming into power had given complete freedom to the press which was evident from the harsh criticism of the media against the government. However, he said, the government had never tried to stop the print media from playing its role.

He said the attack by the opposition workers reflected their dictatorial mentality as it could never tolerate criticism against itself.

Ghulam Akbar Lasi said the provincial government of Balochistan should take serious notice of such lawlessness and arrest the attackers irrespective of their political affiliation.

The said opposition leader Nawaz Sharif should tender an apology to the journalists community for this attack by his workers.-APP