SUKKUR, Nov 10: Activists of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam took out a procession here on Wednesday in protest against US attacks on Fallujah and other Iraqi cities.

Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Abdul Haq Mahar condemned the bombardment of Fallujah and imposition of emergency in Iraq.

He said President Bush after being re-elected had launched fresh attacks against innocent Iraqi people.

Mr Mahar said despite large-scale atrocities by the US army in Iraq, the Pakistan government and other Muslim states were tight-lipped which could jeopardize world peace.

He demanded that Muslim countries should come forward and save the Iraqi people from US atrocities. Later, the participant torched a US flag.

MEDIA WORKSHOP: Journalists of the interior Sindh should focus on developing their capability to play a leading role in creating social and economic changes in society.

This was stated by participants of a training workshop on "Reporting and Editing Skills" organized by an Islamabad-based media think-tank, the Journalists for Democracy and Human Rights, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebart Stiftung on Wednesday.

There was a general consensus among the participants that skill development would ultimately help the journalists in their pursuit of positive goals that would be facilitated by discharging their professional duties.

Journalists from Sukkur and Khairpur districts spoke at length about tangible hurdles in reporting events related to karo-kari, kidnapping for ransom, law and order and police encounters.

They said that their lives were often at stake and deplored the indifferent attitude of newspaper owners and local administrations.

They complained about the non-implementation of the seventh Wage Board Award in the interior of Sindh and urged the government to take a firm stand on this matter.

They demanded that a foundation for journalists be set-up in Sindh which should help them in time of need. The NWFP government had recently formed such a foundation, they pointed out.

JDHR president and resource person Shafqat Munir said that the responsibilities of journalists become manifold in difficult times and assured the journalists of the interior of JDHR's fullest cooperation in fulfilment of their duties.

He underlined the need for more realistic and specific coverage of events.

He assured the journalists of the interior Sindh that excesses against them would be highlighted not only on the national level but also on the international level.

He said the JDHR was contemplating establishment of its regional offices in Sukkur, Hyderabad and Larkana for a close contact with the journalist community of the interior.

Similar workshops, he said, would also be held in Larkana and Hyderabad in due course of time.