ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has launched a “Press Freedom Movement from July 5 onwards against the alleged unannounced censorship being faced by Pakistani media and the curtailing of the distribution of the daily Dawn in several parts of the country,” the journalist body said in a statement.
“The PFUJ decided to launch the movement on July 5, as the black day, the day the 1977 martial law was declared, which was followed by the total ban on independent and free media in the country,” PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Ayub Jan Sarhadi said in joint statement issued late on Tuesday evening.
“The decision to launch a movement was announced after consultation with units from all over Pakistan, Black flags will be raised on all press clubs on July 5 in Pakistan.”
On July 9, journalists will set up camps outside the Dawn offices, one of Pakistan’s prominent media groups, in solidarity with the media house, PFUJ said.
“The Dawn newspaper is now not available to the citizens in several parts of the country and Dawn television (transmissions) are also not available in several localities,” the PFUJ said in a statement. “This is not only an infringement on the right to freedom of expression, this is also an infringement of the rights of the citizen in making a free choice in the consumption of media.”
The PFUJ leadership in a statement said that the hardships faced by the media will have a negative impact on the credibility of the elections scheduled for July 25.
“Union leaders have advised the interim government and election commission to look into the matter and ensure the circulation of Dawn is not curtailed,” the PFUJ said.
Pakistani journalist body announces press freedom drive
Pakistani journalist body announces press freedom drive
- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said in a statement that the hardships faced by media will have a negative impact on the credibility of the elections set for July 25
- The Pakistani media is facing unannounced censorship claims the PFUJ — and demanding the interim government and election commission look into the matter
Air India 777 aircraft turns back after drop in engine oil pressure, regulator says
- The aircraft, which was headed to Mumbai, landed safely back in Delhi and the incident will be investigated
- Air India has been under intense scrutiny this year after the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner killed 260 people
BENGALURU: An Air India Boeing 777 aircraft had to turn back after a drop in oil pressure forced the pilots to turn off one of the jet’s engines, India’s aviation regulator said on Monday.
The aircraft, which was headed to India’s financial capital of Mumbai, landed safely back in Delhi and the incident will be investigated, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. Modern aircraft are designed to safely fly and land on a single engine, if required. Air India has been under intense scrutiny this year after the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner killed 260 people. The DGCA has flagged multiple safety lapses at the airline, which was previously owned by the government till 2022. An Air India investigation into why one of its planes conducted commercial flights without an airworthiness permit found “systemic failures,” with the airline admitting it needed to do better on compliance, Reuters reported earlier this month.
On Monday, pilots observed a low engine oil pressure on the B777-300ER aircraft’s right-hand engine during flaps retraction after take-off. The pressure shortly thereafter dropped to zero and the crew shut down the engine and turned back as per procedure, the DGCA said.
“Air India sincerely regrets inconvenience caused due to this unforeseen situation. The aircraft is undergoing the necessary checks,” an Air India spokesperson said in a statement. The aircraft is 15 years old and has flown to locations such as Vienna, Vancouver and Chicago, according to Flightradar24. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.
