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The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has sharply criticised the Pakistan government for attack on journalists by police in Faisalabad and held Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool responsible for inciting the assault.
At least 23 journalists were injured in the incident.
In a strongly worded letter on Monday, the Committee asked President Pervez Musharraf to issue a public statement upholding the right of all journalists to report freely without fear of reprisal and to make public earliest the report of the inquiry he had ordered into the incident.
"As we have noted before, the very nature of military rule threatens press freedom in Pakistan. Journalists no longer enjoy constitutional protections, and other democratic safeguards have been deeply compromised," the statement said.
The reports said Maqbool was angry with the press over criticism of referendum ordered by Musharraf seeking an extension to his presidency.
Dozens of journalists took out a rally in protest, but were beaten up by police without any provocation.
The CPJ noted that members of public also assaulted some journalists after Maqbool said the 'public could take revenge (on journalists) if they do not desist from wrong reporting'.
"As a non-partisan organisation of journalists dedicated to the defence of our colleagues worldwide, CPJ is greatly troubled by these attacks. Based on the sequence of events, we have little doubt that they were inspired by Governor Maqbool's diatribe against the press," the statement said.
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