Himalayan News Service

Pokhara/Dang, June 10:

Demanding press freedom, journalists took out a rally from the Prithvi Chowk in Pokhara today. The rally was jointly called by the Kaski branch of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and Protect Free Radio Agitation Committee. Addressing a corner meeting at the Prithvi Chowk, Gangadhar Lamsal, vice-president of the FNJ, since they had staged the rally for the sake of public liberty, the government should pay heed to it. Rabindra Bastola, president of the FNJ Kaski branch, warned that the government strategy of curbing civic rights by gagging the media would harm it. Shivalal Malla, president of the Broadcasting Association Nepal, charged the government with trying to kill the private radio stations by imposing a ban on news broadcast. Jiwant Wagle, regional coordinator of the INSEC and Ananda Raj Mulmi, coordinator of the Transparency International, Pokhara Helping Group spoke of the importance

of speech of freedom. After the rally, Radio Annapurna, Machhapuchhre FM, Himachuli FM and Pokhara FM aired news bulletins separately. Meanwhile, the FNJ Dang branch staged a rally today to protest against the arrest of journalists. The rally converged into a mass meeting at the Tulsipur chowk.