KASUR - Despite the fact journalism is a respectable profession as the mediamen not only keep the public and government updated about their problems but also find out the ways and make suggestions to deal with it.
It is on the record that mediamen ensured coverage of each and every newsworthy incident across the country including Kasur and it is also an undeniable reality that many of them were either injured or lost their lives performing duty.
A similar incident happened about three months ago with The Nation’s correspondent and Kasur Press Club (KPC) President Haji Sharif Mehr when dacoits fired indiscriminate shots on his car on the way to Kot Radha Kishan and snatched cash and other valuables from him at gunpoint. The patrolling police personnel were standing a little distance away but they did nothing to rescue him. Apart from the patrolling cops’ negligence, the police indifference to arrest culprits of the robbery with the KPC president raised concerns among the journalist community of Kasur district. According to the community, it was third robbery incident in the district with a media person and the police are failed so far to arrest any of the culprits involved in the robberies.
Talking to The Nation, mediamen flayed the police indifference and failure to arrest the culprits responsible for firing on and robbery with the KPC president. They said that print and electronic media of the district ensured coverage of every police action against the outlaws and lauded their performance but when mediamen sought police help after attack on the KPC president; the police failure to arrest the robbers disappointed the journalist community. They termed attack on the KPC president an attack on journalist community and flayed the police apathy and negligence to go after the robbers. They said that Haji Sharif Mehr is a seasoned journalist and has been working as a journalist for 10 years, adding that he has always highlighted woes of the poor public and conveyed their voice to the high-ups. They urged Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take notice of the police dillydallying.
