What's new

How free was the press in Pakistan under Imran Khan's regime?

How free is the press in Pakistan under Imran Khan's regime?


  • Total voters
    18
PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday accused the government of "steamrolling" bills through the parliament and resorting to revenge tactics in the name of accountability, saying there was a need for a united narrative to protect civil liberties.

Addressing an 'all-party conference' organised by the Pakistan Bar Council, the two leaders also called for reviewing the process of the appointment of the country's top judges. The agenda of the event revolved around "Appointment of judges in superior judiciary, accountability and civil liberties: concerns and corrections."

In his speech, Bilawal said the "most important" legislation in the country was not being carried out in a free atmosphere.

"The important legislation conducted to date in this National Assembly has been done by undermining rules, the Constitution and making the parliament powerless, through force," he said, adding that the opposition was not allowed to present its views.

He said during yesterday's parliamentary joint session in which the government managed to get eight important bills, including three related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), passed, "the speaker was not supporting our demand for a vote recount. If our vote isn't counted, our voice isn't heard, then we will be forced to think for how long we want to see this parliament in the shape of a rubber-stamp."

He said the rights of "every section" of society were being usurped and the opposition had to look towards the courts for justice.

"The media bosses who used to threaten us about erecting and bringing down governments ... are today facing restrictions and difficulties," the PPP chairman said.

He said the Charter of Democracy signed by former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif listed the procedure for appointment of judges and proposed setting up a constitutional court with representation of all provinces.

Bilawal said he agreed with the view that the 19th amendment was "forcibly passed through the parliament".

"An institution gave a clear threat. Because of a line that the appointment of judges will be decided with the input of parliamentarians, legal fraternity and the Bar, they saw the 18th amendment through which we restored the 1973 constitution, as a threat," he told the audience, adding that members of the judiciary and political parties too saw it "with suspicion".

"The 19th amendment was passed as a result of a threat, which was that 'we will blow up the 1973 Constitution'."

Bilawal said there would be "no future" for a legislation or parliament if legislation is carried out "through force and threats", "just as senior journalist Suhail Warraich says 'ye company nahi chalay gi (this company won't ast)'".

He added that the power and process of judicial appointments had to be decided by the people, whose representative forum is the parliament. "I request this forum to demand in your resolution that the 19th amendment be repealed," he said.

Bilawal said members of his family were "martyred by the state one by one", but his party did not waver from its stance for democracy and freedom of the press.

The PPP leader said there needed to be a united narrative that "there will be no compromise on civil liberties and human rights."

"How can we accept that in 2020 in 'Madina ki riyasat (state of Madina)' you cannot publish a book, post a tweet or freely give an interview despite being a member of parliament and the head of a party or it will be censored?" he asked.

"This is not the way of the modern world, of alive nations. We've given too many sacrifices, now we want the accountability of our blood which was used to make this Constitution. Whether the target is the 1973 constitution, 18th amendment, NFC award or human rights, we aren't ready to compromise on these things.

"Our aim and wish are one. Now we need to have one strategy and method and take this struggle forward together."

Bilawal said the PPP will host the multi-party conference of opposition parties in 2-3 days. "From there, we hope all political parties will be ready to at last come on one page and demand accountability from this hybrid regime. The parliament will have to be freed first after which we will also free our country," he added.

Referring to Lahore police chief Umer Sheikh's remarks regarding the victim of the recent motorway gang-rape incident, he said the incumbent government pronounced the country as "Madina ki riyasat" but such was the state of affairs that "those responsible for ensuring justice" for the rape victim "raise questions on the victim instead of the rapist".

He further said the prime minister and ministers came forward to defend the police officer for his victim-blaming remarks.

'Blot on the face of justice'
While addressing the conference that he termed "a pre-APC before the APC", PML-N president Shehbaz said there had been "ups and downs" regarding the provision of justice throughout Pakistan's history. He said while there were judges who gave honest judgements, there are also "judges like Arshad Malik", whom the PML-N claims convicted Nawaz Sharif under duress in the Al-Azizia reference.

"Why the ups and downs? The reason is that during different eras, dictators weakened the judiciary through amendments of their choice and the work politicians and civil society should have done for their defence and to strengthen them could not be done with that much strength," he said.

"Sadly some judges allowed dictators to amend the Constitution. These are the tragic events, the blot on the face of justice, which cannot be washed away."

But he said "instead of crying about the past, we should learn from it and move forward."

"I have no qualms in saying we too made blunders and we should accept them," the opposition leader added.

Shehbaz said there was "no past example" of the kind of restrictions that media in the country was currently facing, but called upon the media to consider how "the entire atmosphere has been polluted due to a specific campaign that was run against political parties in the past 2-2.5 years".

He accused the government of carrying out propaganda regarding the National Accountability Bureau, saying the opposition was passing through "the mill of revenge in the name of accountability" which could have immense consequences for the country.

"Today when the economy is destroyed and the common man is crushed, you first steamroll bills and then say unimaginable things in the parliament."

Shehbaz said in order to strengthen Pakistan and its economy, it was inevitable to address the grievances of the smaller provinces and protect their interests through equitable distribution of resources.
 
Police arrest journalist outside IHC

Islamabad police on Wednesday arrested a reporter who had arrived at the high court to cover a hearing of an appeal filed by Maryam Nawaz against her conviction in the Avenfield corruption reference.

Ehtisham Kiyani, who works for Channel 24, was arrested by police officials deployed for security and was shifted to Ramna police station. He was stopped at a police checkpoint outside the court where he introduced himself but was detained by officials. After arresting him, police claimed that Kiyani was carrying weapons.

Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah took notice of the incident and summoned high-ranking officials of the capital police and ordered Kiyani's immediate release. The reporter was released soon after and Superintendent of Police Sarfaraz Virk said that no weapons had been recovered from Kiyani, adding that a private TV channel had reported "fake news".

Speaking to reporters after his release, Kiyani said that he was falsely accused of bearing weapons. He added that he was detained by police for over an hour, during which he was "tortured" and "harassed".

"I was mistreated by SP Zubair Sheikh," he said. Kiyani further said that police took away his mobile phone and wallet. Despite multiple requests, he was not allowed to contact his family or his office colleagues, Kiyani told reporters.

He said that police's attitude with journalists was "insulting" and demanded Islamabad's inspector general to take notice of the treatment meted out to media personnel by law enforcement officials.

The journalist's arrest was also condemned by PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, who termed the incident "condemnable, regrettable and shameful".

"Stopping the media from performing its professional duties is unconstitutional and against media freedom," she said while speaking to reporters outside the court.

"Selected government's fascism and dictatorship is trampling upon the Constitution, law, democracy and civilian's freedom," she added and demanded that those responsible for "torturing media" personnel should face legal action.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1581212/police-arrest-journalist-outside-ihc
 
Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Friday refuted reports that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered cases against journalists and rights activists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016.

Taking to Twitter, she said: "This was disturbing news so I checked and my information is that it's incorrect. A private citizen has
sent a complaint to FIA against around 12 journalists.

"FIA examines all complaints but no FIR has been registered and FIA can't register a report under Peca without following the specified legal procedure."

She urged anyone with "contrary evidence in terms of FIRs" to inform her so that she can follow up.

The minister was responding to a tweet by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) which said it was "alarmed" by the reports of cases against journalists.

"We demand that the state refrain from such action and stop using the FIA to curb political dissent," the commission said.

Amnesty International had also reacted to the news reports, calling upon authorities to withdraw the alleged charges immediately.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry called upon those who "raised a hue and cry without confirmation" to apologise to the government and to the nation.

In the past few week, several cases have been registered against journalists for posting objectionable content about the state and the army.

Earlier this month, an FIR was registered against journalist Asad Toor for posting "negative propaganda against the state, Pakistani institutions and the Pakistan Army" on his social media account. A similar FIR was registered against journalist and former Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) chairman Absar Alam in Jhelum.

Prior to this, Bilal Farooqi, a senior journalist associated with English-language daily The Express Tribune was detained by Karachi police for allegedly posting "objectionable" material on social media and "defaming" the army.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1581563/n...alists-rights-activists-by-fia-shireen-mazari
 
KARACHI, October 19, 2020 - Due to political instability in Pakistan, opposition parties are holding public gatherings - first, in Gujranwala and then in Karachi - at which hundreds of thousands of people participated in the agitation against the government without wearing face masks or observing social distancing.

More than 20 journalists have been fired due to the coronavirus crisis because most electronic and print media houses are under financial strain since February 2020. Hundreds of journalists including sports journalists have not been paid salaries for the last three to five months. Luckily no TV channels or newspaper offices have closed due to the crisis.

Sports events are ongoing at the national and provincial levels with players from all over the country taking part. There will be an international event starting at the end of October - Pakistan vs Zimbabwe cricket series.

https://www.aipsmedia.com/index.htm...virusCoronavirus-updatesPost-COVID-journalism
 
Islamabad, Pakistan – As journalist Bilal Farooqi was led to a dark cell in a police station in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, a dirty towel hooded over his head, he prepared for a long night ahead.

“I had been thinking, as soon as I had been brought to the police station, the first thing in my mind was that I’m definitely going to be fired,” he says. “I realised that it was going to be a tough few hours.”

Farooqi’s ‘crime, for which he was arrested at his home on the evening of September 11, was to have tweeted criticism of the Pakistani government and military, particularly regarding the actions of a religious organisation known for inciting violence against the minority Shia Muslim sect.

He was arrested under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), a law passed in 2016 that regulates Pakistanis’ use of the internet and authorises the government to censor content.

Increasingly in recent years, PECA’s defamation clauses have been used to target journalists and rights activists who express dissent against the government and the country’s powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan for roughly half of its 73-year history.

Last month, the government made public a new expansion to PECA that would outlaw online criticism of the government and public office holders; allow the government to ban online platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; and require all platforms – including messaging apps like WhatsApp – to share users’ decrypted data with authorities without judicial oversight.

On Tuesday, authorities said they were withdrawing the explicit ban on criticising the government, but maintained other provisions that have been used to block online dissent and arrest those who express it.

The new regulations require large technology and social media companies to establish offices and data centres on Pakistani soil within 18 months, give the government the power to impose fines of up to $3.14m and allow authorities to block online platforms for violations of government censorship and data surveillance requests.

Rights groups have decried the laws as an attempt to muzzle free speech and dissent online, while major technology companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter have threatened to pull out of Pakistan entirely if the regulations are not amended.

“Their goal appears to be complete control over information by the state, and for the state to have total hegemony over information,” says Farieha Aziz, co-founder of digital rights group Bolo Bhi.

“They want to turn the internet into another PTV [the state-owned television news channel].”

Amin-ul-Haque, Pakistan’s information technology minister, said the government supported freedom of speech, but would not tolerate certain forms of content.

“The government of Pakistan will not tolerate three things in any form,” he told Al Jazeera. “Hate speech, number one. Number two is anti-state content, and number three is vulgarity.”

The process of formulating the rules, digital rights activists and other stakeholders say, was flawed from the start.

‘You cannot blanket ban things’

In February, the government enacted a similar version of the new regulations, dubbed the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules, that was swiftly rejected by technology companies and rights groups as being too broad and granting authoritarian powers to block and monitor content to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country’s internet regulator.

Days later, Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered that version of the rules to be rescinded and for a consultative process to be launched to revise them.

Aziz said several rights groups boycotted the initial consultations “as just an eyewash”.

Individual companies and stakeholders did, however, hold consultations with the government, the results of which were never made public.

“There was no transparency on what conversations happened or what was discussed,” says Aziz, whose rights group held independent consultations to which the PTA was invited but did not attend.

“Typically, consultations require drafts being circulated for public input, white papers to be released and other forms of [disclosure] as well.”

Since March, the PTA held several consultations with technology companies on the rules, including social media giant Facebook, which has more than 11.5 million users in Pakistan, and the Asia Internet Coalition, a regional organisation that represents Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and other tech giants.

“We tried to tell them that you cannot blanket ban things,” said a social media company representative with knowledge of one of the meetings, speaking on condition of anonymity. “You need to keep certain principles in mind. You can’t just ban everything that you don’t like.”

The representative said the government ignored all of the social media company’s concerns, particularly those regarding requirements for large companies with more than half a million users, like Facebook, Twitter and others, to establish data servers on Pakistani soil.

“We had a consultation, they listened to us, and then there was nothing. We repeatedly asked for an updated draft, [and were not given it],” said the representative. “They heard people one time – everything we said to them, none of that was taken on board.”

A second representative of a major social media company, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that their company had aired concerns regarding the new regulations.

The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) issued a statement shortly after the release of the rules that corroborated that account.

“AIC members are alarmed by the scope of Pakistan’s new law targeting internet companies, as well as the government’s opaque process by which these rules were developed,” said Jeff Paine, AIC’s managing director.

“It’s chilling to see the PTA’s powers expanded, allowing them to force social media companies to violate established human rights norms on privacy and freedom of expression.”

IT Minister Haque, however, denied the accusations, saying that a consultative committee “took all stakeholders on board”.

Decrypting all data
One of the core concerns of rights groups and technology companies has been around the requirement for all online platforms in Pakistan to provide decrypted data to law enforcement authorities without a warrant.

The new rules require such companies to provide “any information or data or content or sub-content contained in any information system owned or managed or run by the [company] in decrypted, readable and comprehensible format or plain version”.

Aziz, the rights activist, says the broadening of the government’s power to surveil citizens’ data is part of an ongoing tightening of freedom of expression “to shrink and control this space”.

“Even when PECA was being introduced, we said this fits a larger pattern,” she said. “This is not just a law for the internet, it is also there to muzzle dissent and to expand law enforcement powers [and] we’ve seen encroaching [powers], the censorship, the use of [police cases] to threaten freedom of expression, the blocking, the muzzling of dissent.”

For Facebook, which owns the WhatsApp messaging platform, a ubiquitous app for Pakistan’s more than 85 million cellphone broadband subscribers, and others, the question of breaking encryption would be fundamental to their business.

“We do not do that anywhere in the world. Breaking encryption is a huge debate that is happening globally right now, and it is not something that [our company] would do,” said a major social media company representative.

The requirement to break encryption could also cripple local technology-driven businesses that require secure communications for financial transactions.

“E-commerce and e-banking will all suffer, because it will make that whole system vulnerable,” says Aziz. “They want gateway level filters that do deep packet inspection.”

Companies will ‘struggle to survive’
The potential effect on Pakistan’s fledgling technology industry, which recorded more than $1.19bn in exports in 2019, according to central bank data, and is valued locally at more than $1.2bn, could be huge.

“It’s important to realise that the big companies like Facebook [and others] have a lot of impact on the tech ecosystem in Pakistan,” says Hija Kamran, digital rights lead at rights organisation, Media Matters for Democracy.

“[T]hey routinely fund startups and small and medium-sized companies to conduct their businesses. If and when they decide to pull their operations from the country […] the implications can be drastic.”

The new regulations set a fine of up to $3.14m for companies that fail to comply with any part of the rules, including requirements to accede to government censorship requests within six hours in some cases.

“Local Pakistani businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, cannot afford to pay these fines,” says Kamran. “The effect is pretty clear – they will struggle to survive in a legal regime that constantly threatens their opportunity to do business.”

Legal experts say the new rules could also be in breach of Pakistan’s constitution on both freedom of expression and the scope that such regulations – which are passed by administrative decree rather than a parliamentary majority – can have.

“The fundamental issue in relation to the rules are that the rules cannot beyond the statute [PECA],” says Zahid Ibrahim, a lawyer in Karachi. “This is delegated legislation [but] it seeks to expand what was supposedly unlawful under the PECA law.”

Banning dissent, muzzling journalists
The main areas of concern for rights groups are the clauses of the regulations that deal with banning content based on the “the glory of Islam”, “the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan” or “public order, decency or morality”.

In recent years, rights groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have documented a sharp increase in censorship of coverage of dissent and criticism of Pakistan’s government and military.

Certain opposition politicians’ speeches are blocked from television news coverage, editors are routinely sent “advice” on how to cover events and coverage critical of the military is commonly muzzled, journalists have told Al Jazeera.

The new rules, say journalists, are an attempt to expand that control to online and social media, which has remained largely freer than traditional media such as television and newspapers.

One of the tweets for which Farooqi, the journalist, was arrested included a reference to an article in his newspaper that had been censored by the authorities. The tweet was accused of being “anti-state”.

“The motive [behind my arrest] was clear: to end criticism, and the larger motive is to send a message of deterrence, to show […] that if I can be picked up, then anyone can be picked up.”

Farooqi believes the aim of the laws, as demonstrated by how they have been applied, is to curb all dissent online, whether by journalists or regular citizens.

“[The state is] not in the mood to tolerate any dissenting views. [They want] that no-one should ever oppose their policies. That these are our policies, everyone must accept them. You are not to say anything about them, ever.

“The little bit of space that is left for journalists and citizens, they want that to be finished.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/2/pakistans-new-regulations-aim-to-silence-the
 
Criticism important for democracy: The Islamabad High Court

ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday questioned government rules on social media stressing that criticism was important for democracy.

Hearing a petition filed against social media rules imposed by the government, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to also take into account the objections raised by Pakistan Bar Council (PBC).

Discouraging the PTA counsel from citing India as an example, during the hearing, Justice Minallah remarked that the court was very clear that fundamental rights of the citizens will not be violated.

“If India is in the wrong we will not be following its footsteps,” the justice observed.

He further questioned which authority had made and approved the rules.

Justice Minallah underscored that social media rules should encourage criticism because "discouraging criticism on social media would be discouraging for accountability”. He added that PTA should encourage criticism because it is the most important part of expression.

"Why should anyone be afraid of criticism? Everyone should face it. Even court decisions are criticized," Justice Minallah remarked.

PTA official apprised the court that letters were written to the PBC and Islamabad Bar Council for suggestions, but some provisions of the rules gave the impression that they are unconstitutional.

The court directed the PTA counsel to argue his case and prove that the rules were not in conflict with Article 19 and 19A in the next hearing.

"Why should this court fear accountability? No one is above the law, nor is anyone above criticism," Justice Minallah remarked. He reiterated that the objections raised by PBC were justified.

Justice Minallah said that when court decisions are made public, there is no contempt of court for criticising those decisions, adding that criticism is important for democracy, especially in the 21st century.

The court sought a reply from the PTA and adjourned the hearing until December 18.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2274610/criticism-important-for-democracy-ihc
 
The Islamabad High Court on Friday lashed out at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) over the recently approved social media rules, saying that "if India was in the wrong, should we follow suit?"

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah made the remarks in response to an argument by the PTA counsel. He was hearing a petition by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) pertaining to the recently approved rules titled, “Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules 2020” (RBUOC). The PBC argued that it seemed the new rules contradicted some articles of the Constitution.

Justice Minallah said that if the new rules "discourage criticism, it would discourage accountability". Criticism, the judge said, is very important for democracy.

He also cautioned that if the authorities "ban criticism in the 21st century, it would lead to damage".

"Who recommended the introduction of such rules and which authority approved them?" asked the IHC top judge, adding that the "government or any law was not exempt from criticism". The PTA counsel, however, said that letters had been written to PBC and other lawyers' bodies for their recommendations.

"These rules are also highlighting a mindset," the judge remarked.

"Even court decisions can be criticised [but] fair trial should not be impacted," said Justice Minallah. "When court decisions become public, [their] criticism does not even lead to contempt of court [charges]."

Justice Minallah directed the PTA to take the PBC's objections into account and convince the court that the new rules are not contrary to Article 19 and 19(A) of the Constitution in the next hearing. The case was adjourned until December 18.

'Digital dictatorship'
The recently approved rules have sparked anger and condemnation from stakeholders, including internet service providers as well as digital rights activists, who have termed them as draconian and a violation of cyber laws of the country.

In a statement today, PPP information secretary Nafeesa Shah termed the rules as "illegal and unconstitutional" and demanded that they be withdrawn. Shah accused the "fascist" government of wanting to "impose an online, digital dictatorship" in the country and said that the new rules were being introduced to impose restrictions on the media and silence the opposition.

"From journalists and opposition to a layman, [everyone] who shares material critical of the government, will be a target of censorship," she said. "The government's step is equivalent to shutting down digital media companies."

Shah said that the rules should be tabled before the Parliament.

The RBUOC rules have placed all the internet service providers (ISPs) on a par with social media companies and all the requirements of the social media platforms have been applied to the ISPs as well.

The RBUOC rules have identified that the ISPs and the SMCs have to ensure public community guidelines for usage of any online system.

“Such community guidelines shall inform the user of the online system not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit update or share any online content that belongs to another person and to which the user does not have any right. This is blasphemous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, invasive of another’s privacy, violates or affects religious, cultural, ethnical sensitive of Pakistani or harms minor in any way, impersonates another person or threatens the integrity, security, or defence of Pakistan or public order or causes incitement to any offence under PECA.”

Furthermore, social media companies will be required to provide the designated investigation agency with any information or data in decrypted, readable and comprehensible format. The rules prohibit live-streaming through the ISPs and the SMCs by deploying online mechanism, related to terrorism, extremism, hate speech, pornographic, incitement to violence and detrimental to national security.

The ISPs and the SMCs could be fined up to Rs500 million for failing to abide by the PTA's directives, while appeal against the decision can be filed in high court within 30 days of the PTA’s order.

Complaints against online content can be filed with the PTA by any aggrieved individual, federal, provincial or local government department, any state owned company, law enforcement or intelligence agency.

The rules have also indicated that a Data Protection Law is likely to be promulgated in Pakistan in the near future and the ISPs as well as the SMCs will have to establish database servers in the country once the law is enacted.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1593989/i...top-judge-berates-pta-over-social-media-rules
 
KARACHI:The threats to freedom of expression in Pakistan appear to have increased during the pandemic, which according to a latest report, has exacerbated pre-existing weaknesses.

In its assessment titled 'Pakistan Freedom of Expression Report 2020', Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD) said freedom of expression witnessed notable declines during the pandemic.

Pakistan, the report said, performed miserably in all areas used to assess the overall situation of free speech. The country scored 30 points out of 100 on the Freedom of Expression Assessment Index, which indicates that the state of freedom of expression remained poor in the country over the past twelve months.

The Islamabad-based non-profit organisation, which is geared towards rights-based advocacy for freedom of media said, its assessment of the state of freedom of expression in Pakistan was based on six factors, namely: legal environment, press freedom, digital expression, pluralism, the socioeconomic and political situation, and protection from threats to expression.

Supported by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) programme of the European Union (EU), the report said Pakistan’s media and internet regulatory authorities "continued to exert arbitrary legal and regulatory restrictions on speech and online content, by ordering bans, suspensions, and advisories against social media applications, entertainment content, and news discussions of social and political issues.

It also cautioned that media practitioners in the country remain vulnerable to physical, legal, and digital threats due to the absence of legislation for their safety.

While local and international experts, who monitor and support freedom of speech were not surprised by the findings of the report, they were concerned about the restrictions and their long-term ramifications.

“The consequences of restricting free expression during the pandemic are that the public will be less informed,” said Steven Butler, Asia Program Coordinator, at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based advocacy group that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.

“Rather than bolstering trust in what the government says, it's likely to have the opposite effect,” said CPJ’s Butler, who was denied entry into Pakistan and deported two years ago.

He urged the government to allow journalists to perform their duties without any interference. “If journalists criticize what the government is doing, just get used to it. It's what happens in a democracy,” said Butler by email.

While such restrictions are not new to media practitioners in Pakistan, the fresh curbs during the pandemic, experts said, were ‘dangerous’ in the age of widespread misinformation.

“Consequences of restrictions are particularly self-defeating in the time of Covid-19. More information is needed, rather than less, so that citizens are aware of the severity of the problem,” said Zohra Yusuf, former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

In its 62-page report, the advocacy group said the media industry witnessed the death of at least eight individuals during this period. “As many as 23 instances of arbitrary detentions in connection with news reporting and online expression were recorded across Pakistan during the year,” the document said.

Similarly, for reporting on political issues and the government's pandemic response, the report said, female journalists were particularly targeted with coordinated online attacks.

Commenting on the number of attacks on journalists during the year, Yusuf said: “In June 2020, PEMRA issued a directive to the media stating, "No information should be aired which is tantamount to character assassination of frontline healthcare workers". As with all directives, HRCP’s former chairperson said this was ‘vaguely framed’ and prone to abuse. “Two journalists were arrested and tortured in Chaman, Balochistan, for reporting on the poor condition of a quarantine centre for returnees from Afghanistan.”

From Paris, Daniel *******, who heads Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Asia-Pacific desk, shared similar concerns about the state of press freedom and freedom of expression in Pakistan.

“In the context of the pandemic, it is very dangerous for the authorities to prevent Pakistani citizens from independent and trustful information that can be obtained only through a free press,” ******* told the Express Tribune in an email.

*******, who regularly speaks in support of press freedom, which has seen notable declines in the region during the coronavirus pandemic, urged the government to return to the promised constitutional rights in this matter. Referring to the recent attempts to restrict online and offline discourse, he cautioned that the future of free expression is ‘compromised in Pakistan’.

Last year, the government decided to roll out new internet rules that, according to critics, granted sweeping censorship powers to the regulators. Approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet in February 2020, the new rules gave the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), a regulatory body, the powers to remove and block digital content that “harms, intimidates or excites disaffection” towards the government or poses a threat to the “integrity, security and defence of Pakistan”. The move irked digital rights activists in the country.

Responding to a question, RSF’s Daniel ******* urged authorities to prevent legislation that is aimed at limiting freedom of expression. Freedom of expression, he said, is a fundamental right that Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father, considered absolutely crucial to the development of Pakistan. “One goal that the authorities should try to reach is to fight impunity for crimes against journalists,” said *******.

Over the past few years, media freedom has continued its uninterrupted downward spiral in Pakistan. In its 2020 global press freedom report, RSF ranked Pakistan 145th out of the 180 countries. The Paris-based watchdog stated that the media in Pakistan has become a priority target for the country’s “deep state”.

Describing the situation as 'dismal', Iqbal Khattak, who serves as the representative of RSF in Pakistan said: “The best measuring tool to know the state of democracy is to take a look at the country’s global ranking, and it is indeed not good,” said Khattak. Pakistan’s global ranking, the RSF representative warned, may take a harder hit in the watchdog’s upcoming report.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2292470/pakistan-ranks-poorly-in-freedom-of-expression-assessment
 
There has not been a lot of coverage of the TLP protests in local newspapers and other media. Perhaps there's an embargo on local media to not post anything deemed sensitive.
 
There has not been a lot of coverage of the TLP protests in local newspapers and other media. Perhaps there's an embargo on local media to not post anything deemed sensitive.

Stifling of press freedom or sensible?
 
Stifling of press freedom or sensible?

It's a slippery slope, often there isn't much distinction between curtailing freedom of the press for national security reasons and authoritarian censorship. Who is responsible to make that judgment?

It is indisputable though that if the media isn't creating hysteria about the protests, it's easier for the police to act with impunity.
 
WASHINGTON: Media and content restrictions are a threat to the ability to exercise the right to freedom of expression and association in Pakistan, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Addressing a virtual roundtable, the US official expressed concern over "significant restrictions" on media outlets and civil society in Pakistan.

He spoke about a "lack of accountability for attacks and disappearances against journalists" as well.

"We’ve documented some of this in our Country Reports on Human Rights practices, and we see media outlets, journalists, their families in Pakistan often subject to threats, harassment at the hands of security forces, political parties, militants, other groups," the US secretary of state said.

Secretary Blinken said that the US regularly raises issues and concerns relating to press freedom with Pakistani authorities in conversations and in meetings.

"Our open and honest engagement with Pakistan enables us, I think, to have an ongoing, sustained dialogue on human rights issues more broadly, and more specifically when it comes to press freedom, the rule of law, religious freedom, even as we collaborate in a number of areas where we have very clear mutual interests," Secretary Blinken said.

GEO
 
ISLAMABAD: PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto says that press freedom in the country has been chained with threats, intimidation, and pressure tactics by the PTI regime. He called for lifting the declared and undeclared curbs imposed on the Pakistani media.

“Imran Khan-led PTI regime has gagged the media to hide its illegitimacy, incompetence and sheer failures in every sector and several independent journalists and anchorpersons have been forcibly taken off TV screens, leading them to take to social media to express their independent analysis and opinions,” the PPP chairperson said in his message on World Press Freedom Day.

Bilawal, according to report byThe News, pointed out that the PPP has been at the forefront of championing press freedom in Pakistan and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had abolished the draconian press laws imposed by Zia’s dictatorial regime.

He said that the suppression of free media in Pakistan is a great disservice to the nation and will only serve to add fuel to the flames of the legitimate anger and frustration of the people. He said freedom of the press is a pivotal part of a vibrant society and democracy, giving a voice to the people.

“Therefore, all censorship, including the imposed self-censorship through latent threats should be undone and the media should be allowed to play its role as an independent watchdog,” he demanded.

He expressed concern that during the PTI regime, Pakistan's ranking had dropped to 145 out of 180 countries on the Press Freedom Index, an annual ranking of countries published by Reporters Without Borders.

Bilawal pledged that the PPP will continue to fight against curbs on free media.

World Press Freedom Day is being observed today across the globe, including Pakistan, to highlight that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights.

The day has its origins in a UNESCO conference in Windhoek in 1991. The event ended on May 3, with the adoption of the landmark Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press.

This day reminds people that many journalists face severe circumstances in line of their duty to dig out the truth in the best interest of the general public.

World Press Freedom Day gives people the chance to pay tribute to media professionals who risked or lost their lives in the line of duty.

Many communities, organisations, and individuals take part in the activities of the day through various events such as art exhibitions, dinners featuring keynote speakers, and awards nights to honour those who risked their lives to bring news to the world.

GEO
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Footage of investigative journalist Iqrarul Hasan slapping a man during an interview has gone viral.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/etribune?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#etribune</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/iqrarulhassan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#iqrarulhassan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/viral?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#viral</a> <a href="https://t.co/P8syMpeLPd">pic.twitter.com/P8syMpeLPd</a></p>— The Express Tribune (@etribune) <a href="https://twitter.com/etribune/status/1396151114408546313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Bilawal, Khwaja Asif and co can go and suck it! Press is probably the most free in the whole world. Everyone sits on national and private tv, and comments on everything, including anti-govt, anti-state remarks. Was it ever censored? No!

The real Freedom of Speech is actually in the states, western countries and Israel. Every single instagram post I have posted in the last 2 weeks about Palestine's freedom struggle have been brought down. The likes of CNN, BBC etc. don't even highlight the palestinian struggle and anything anti-Israel. So you guys tell me, is the press, media free in the west, or is it free in Pakistan?
 
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that attacks on journalists have reduced in Pakistan ever since Prime Minister Imran Khan took over.

During an interview with Stephen Sackur for BBC programme "HARDTalk", which was released on Friday, the minister, who was even termed as "one of the government's most robust defender", gave his utmost to negate the impression that journalists are at any more risk in Pakistan than anywhere else in the world.

When asked by Sackur if he agrees that the cornerstone of any democracy is the protection of freedom of expression and independent journalism, Chaudhry quoted Article 19 of the Constitution that guarantees such protection.

When further pressed to respond to incidences occuring "day after day, month after month" that stand in stark contrast to such freedoms, and that the government is not protecting journalists and freedom of speech, the information minister said he will "obviously contest the claim".

"Pakistan is probably one of the freest state as far as media is concerned. We have about 43 international media channels, including BBC, here in Pakistan, we have 112 private channels, 258 FM channels, and 1,569 print publications.

"So you can imagine the kind of media we have. The size of the media itself defies your claim," Chaudhry responded by saying.

Speaking about the attack on journalist Asad Toor, the minister said that he sent senior police officers to investigate the case and they have obtained closed-circuit footage of the people involved and that "they will be apprehended".

He went on to say that such incidents do happen "everywhere in the world, and Pakistan is no exception".

When further grilled on what he, as information minister, is doing about it, Chaudhry said: "The situation in Pakistan is not dangerous for journalists only. The situation in the past for Pakistan was dangerous for every citizen because we were fighting this war on terrorism. And yes, many journalists, especially field journalists, have been killed in this war, but so [have] many other civilians."

Citing the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in a terrorist attack, he said that it begs looking at things from a wider perspective.

The minister claimed that attacks on journalists have in fact "reduced" since Prime Minister Imran Khan took over.

He further said that "in most of the cases, the culprits were apprehended".

Circling back to the attack on Toor and last month on journalist Absar Alam, he said that the investigation has not even concluded and so there is "no reason" to allege that Pakistan is not protecting its journalists while referencing these two incidents.


https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/8...tacks-on-journalists-have-reduced-in-pakistan
 
The media barks against the PM and the ruling party all day...mainly lies..how much freedom do they want? Look across the Indian border.
 
https://www.geo.tv/latest/352523-isi-says-has-nothing-to-do-with-asad-toor-incident-regrets-allegations-without-proof

Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on Saturday said that it is being "targeted" through fifth-generation warfare "under an organised conspiracy".

The remarks came in response to allegations levelled against the agency after an attack on journalist Asad Ali Toor earlier this week.

A high-level meeting on the incident was convened today between the ISI and the Ministry of Information, following which a statement was released on behalf of the country's apex intelligence agency.

"The continuation of such allegations shows that the ISI is being targeted [...] under an organised conspiracy," said the statement, stressing that the agency had nothing to do with the incident.

"The ISI believes that when the faces of the accused can be clearly seen on CCTV, there should be no hurdle in the investigation," added the statement.

The agency called for strict action against those responsible and assured its complete cooperation in the ongoing investigation into the incident.

According to the statement, the Ministry of Information is in touch with Islamabad Police in this regard and hopes that the accused will be brought to justice soon.

"This practice of levelling accusations against institutions without evidence should end.

"Such negative traditions are part of a conspiracy against the country's institutions and the real culprits will soon be exposed," the statement said.
 
Opposition rejects govt's proposed media ordinance, calls it 'draconian'


Opposition parties PPP and PML-N are not pleased with the government's newly proposed media ordinance, with both PPP Senator Sherry Rehman and PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb taking to Twitter to criticise the ordinance Monday.

The Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) Ordinance 2021 is a plan for "institutionalising censorship", Rehman said.

Under the new ordinance, media outlets will "either become state mouthpieces or go under", Rehman wrote.

She said there will be no onus on the government to provide warning or rationales for clampdowns and that the law may even extend control to digital platforms.

Aurangzeb, meanwhile, called the ordinance a "draconian, authoritarian, repressive and punitive" instrument to "suppress constitutional freedom of expression of print media, electronic media and online citizen journalism.

She said she will address a press conference on the issue at 4pm today (Monday).

Earlier, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) had rejected the proposed media ordinance too.

They had called it "draconian in scope and devastating in its impact on the constitutional principles and guarantees for freedom of expression, media freedoms, and the right to information as well as the profession of journalism” in a joint statement.

The ordinance proposes to repeal all current media related laws including The Press Council Ordinance 2002, The Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance 2002, the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Services Acts) 1973, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA Amendment Act 2007, and The Motion Pictures Ordinance 1979. All will be merged under PMDA.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/352730-sherry-rehman-rejects-govts-proposed-media-ordinance-calls-it-a-plan-to-institutionalise-censorship
 
MAKE no mistake: the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority Ordinance — an apparent draft of which is doing the rounds on social media — is a declaration of war against journalists. It will, if enacted, erase all critical voices from print, electronic and digital platforms through a system of coercive censorship that will allow only a pliant media to survive. In other words, this naked attempt to control the narrative will eviscerate the very rationale for the fourth estate, which is to act as a check on excesses of power and function as a watchdog for the public interest.

Thus, not only is it antithetical to the constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression but it also violates the right to receive information. It should in fact be a matter of shame for a government claiming to have come to power through the ballot, to envisage a media law more draconian than what a military dictator could have dreamt up. Media organisations yesterday unanimously rejected the proposed legislation, terming it unconstitutional and an extension of Gen Ayub Khan’s infamous Press and Publications Ordinance 1963. “This has no place in a democratically elected dispensation,” reads their joint statement.

Clause after clause in the proposed law is illustrative of the authoritarian mindset that underlies it. Repealing existing media-related laws, it would set up PMDA, an all-powerful regulatory body to exercise control over print, electronic and digital media, whose members would be appointed by the president on the federal government’s advice. The PMDA can without notice order the seizure of equipment at a television station or the sealing of a media outlet’s premises. It can for a host of loosely defined reasons, and without issuing a “show-cause notice and affording opportunity of hearing…” prohibit any person, print media, electronic media or digital media service operator from operating. Sanctions include up to three years in prison and a fine extending to Rs25m, or both. Anyone aggrieved by its decisions can appeal to a tribunal — again set up by the federal government. The Supreme Court alone will have the jurisdiction to question the legality of any step taken under the ordinance. Much as it applies to TV channels at present, under the proposed law, the licensing regime would also cover print and digital platforms. Along with licences, there will be NOCs to be renewed periodically — a sword hanging over their heads, plus an added financial burden at a time when the industry is already suffering crippling losses.

Journalists over the last few years have endured indirect censorship and outright violence for simply trying to do their job. Now an attempt is underway to replace these blatantly illegal tactics by legislation that ultimately has the same objective — to bludgeon the community into acquiescence. However, the government should know that the media in this country still has the spine and the integrity to stand its ground.

i
 
The media organisations have totally rejected the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) Ordinance, terming the concept an unconstitutional and draconian law aimed against freedom of press and expression and a step towards imposing state control to regulate the establishment as well as operation of all segments of media.

It came during a joint meeting of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ, Barna Group), PFUJ (Dastoor Group) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND).

The joint meeting was of the unanimous opinion that the proposed PMDA is intended to hinder media freedom and take control over the media by the top information bureaucracy.

The concept is an attempt to tighten the federal government’s hold over the media through one draconian authority ignoring the fact that print, digital and electronic media are separate entities each with their own defined features and respective regulatory laws.

The move appears as an extension of the now defunct Press and Publications Ordinance 1963 (PPO) of the Ayub Khan era to all media platforms with regimental provisions to take over the independent and free media.

“This has no place in a democratically elected dispensation,” the joint declaration stated.

The joint meeting decided to resist the establishment of PMDA at all levels including legal recourse, protest measures and advertising campaigns to educate the public against this blatant attempt to subjugate and control the media and curtail peoples’ right to know.

The meeting decided to form a Joint Action Committee of APNS, PBA, CPNE, PFUJ and AEMEND to decide further actions and seek support from political parties, bar associations, human right organisations and other segments of the civil society to oppose the proposed attack on media and urge upon the federal government to immediately withdraw the proposal.
 
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities briefly detained two prominent journalists in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday, drawing condemnation from human rights activists, political leaders, and the country’s media.

A senior official from Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency, the FIA, said Amir Mir and Imran Shafqat were detained after posting “scandalous content" on social media, prompting a complaint from the government's minister. He did not say whether the two had been charged with any crime.

“They uploaded scandalous content on YouTube and they are being questioned about a complaint lodged by a minister, Murad Saeed," said the FIA’s Babar Bakht Qureshi. Later, the FIA issued a statement saying that the two had been released on bail after questioning and that charges would later be filed in court.

The video in question was an informal roundtable discussion where journalists discussed the army's role in politics and the judiciary in Pakistan. The government did not have any immediate comment about the detentions, which were made in two separate raids.

Mir’s brother Hamid broke news of the two detentions on Twitter. Hamid is himself a prominent journalist, who hosted a popular TV talk show but was taken off the air two months after criticizing the country’s powerful military. Since then the elder Mir has not been reinstated by his channel, Geo News.

The other journalist who was detained Saturday was Imran Shafqat. He had worked for several newspapers and is also active on social media.

The detentions come as press freedom is increasingly under threat in Pakistan, where advocates and journalists often accuse the military and its agencies of harassing and attacking them.

In one recent unsolved case, Asad Ali Toor, a critic of the army's role in politics, was beaten up by three unidentified men in his apartment in Islamabad. Police said those involved would be brought to justice, but so far no one has been apprehended. The government insists it supports freedom of speech.

In a statement on Twitter, Pakistan's Human Rights Commission denounced the detentions, urging the end to what it called a “heinous practice” threatening

https://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-briefly-detains-journalists-over-154940643.html
 
It is free as it should be. There should be a limit to press freedom as well. We can't allow Nawaz Sharif and his cronies openly coming on air speaking against the military or making threats against the country.
 
BRUSSELS: The European Union is concerned over the continued reported cases of violence, intimidation, abduction, and killing of journalists in Pakistan, EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali said Tuesday.

There is a "clear, negative trend" in the freedom of media in recent years, Massrali said in a statement.

"The backtracking in this area is having a detrimental impact on the overall climate of freedom of expression in Pakistan and reflecting negatively on Pakistan’s image abroad," the spokesperson said.

The EU is also concerned about widespread and systematic harassment online, especially of female journalists, through coordinated campaigns including abusive language and threats of violence, Massrali said.

The spokesperson said EU actively advocates importance of the freedom of expression and the need for protection of journalists around the world, including in Pakistan and directly with the Pakistani authorities.
 
ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the perception that Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) will curtail freedom of media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Hussain Tuesday said that anything against the media in the PMDA would be changed if pointed out by any of the stakeholders, according to a report published in The News.

Addressing a press conference following a cabinet meeting, held here on Tuesday with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, Fawad said if there was anything against the media in the PMDA, the concerned should inform about it and it would be changed.

The comments from the minister came after a joint media body rejected the proposed authority and declared it a “draconian attempt” by the government to muzzle the press.

“So far, not a single institution has commented on such a proposal, saying that such a clause was against the freedom of the media,” he added.

“Simply saying that it is against the freedom of the media is not appropriate,” the minister said.

Fawad Chaudhry said the Senate committee had suggested that the advertisements of the media outlets, which were not paying their salaries, should be stopped.

Responding to a question, the information minister invited concrete suggestions from stakeholders for improving the PMDA.

‘PML-N’s criticism unfounded’

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib Tuesday described the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) criticism of the PMDA as unfounded. He said the consultative process on the PMDA framework was underway.

In a news release, he said there would be no restriction on media freedom with the establishment of the PMDA.

He said all the media forums including All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), press clubs and other stakeholders had been made part of the consultative process.

All stakeholders promised full support on the steps that would ensure journalists and media workers’ job security and on-time salaries and regulation of digital media, he added.

'Draconian law'

Former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani, while rejecting the PMDA, termed it a violation of articles 18, 19 and 19-A of the Constitution and said it is a clear reflection that the present government seeks to impose a fascist rule in Pakistan.

“The ‘Pakistan Media Development Authority’ is a draconian law and surpasses the Press & Publication Ordinance, 1960 and subsequent martial law regulations promulgated from time to time under military rule so the PMDA is rejected,” he said.

Rabbani said this is the blackest of black laws with a deliberate intent of crushing the media and all voices of dissent.

“This, along with the attack on academic freedom, students and intelligentsia, is a clear reflection that the present government seeks to impose a fascist rule in Pakistan,” he said.

Journalist bodies unanimously reject PMDA

The joint committee of media organisations comprising the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) have unanimously rejected the government efforts to establish the PMDA.

“The recently-circulated minutes of the meeting between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and these organisations are misleading and have been purposefully distorted to give the impression that there was no serious objection to PMDA,” says a statement issued by the joint committee of media organisations.

The statement reads, “All representatives were unanimous in rejecting PMDA draft,” adding that the ministry was continuously trying to give the impression that sections of the media fraternity were supporting the ministry on the draconian attempt to muzzle the press. This should be stopped immediately."

It added that the joint committee was planning to call all human rights groups, bar associations, members of parliament and other sections of civil society to join hands in stopping this outrageous move by the incumbent government to impose further curbs on media.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/365830-fa...mda-says-it-will-not-curtail-freedom-of-media
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Saddened to learn of Rahimullah Yousafzai's passing. He was one of Pakistan’s most respected journalists. He was an opinion maker because his columns were well researched. My condolences & prayers go to the family.</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1436021359889506312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said Friday that Prime Minister Imran Khan is fully aware of the importance of media and he understands the power of public opinion.

"No one has given as much time to the country's media as Prime Minister Imran Khan," said Chaudhry while addressing the Digital Media Development Programme.

The minister said that the future of the young generation is linked to digital media. "We started media reforms in 2018 and created the digital media wing in 2020," said Chaudhry.

He added that in the past, the state media had been used for promoting party stances. "We turned Pakistan Television into high definition TV," said Chaudhry.

He said that Radio Pakistan's mobile application has now become "one of the best apps".

Earlier today, PM Imran Khan had said that his government is not against a free media, and only has a problem with "fake news and propaganda", claiming the incumbent regime had given "more freedom than ever" to news organisations.

"[Fake news] is degrading for the country," the prime minister said, as he addressed the launch ceremony of the Digital Media Development Programme.

GEO
 
PTI’s Shehryar Afridi issues threats to Pakistani journalist in France in leaked audio clip

'These threats are unacceptable', says Reporters without Borders

ISLAMABAD – Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir Chairperson Shehryar Khan Afridi is the recent name to be associated with the controversial leaked audio clips as he can be heard calling members of the Pakistani community in Europe to attack the journalist Younas Khan.

Former Pakistani Minister of State for Interior irked by the question of Paris-based Pakistani journalist who asked him about where he discussed the Kashmir issue during his France visit.

As the journalist asked if he [Afridi] had met with any government organisation to discuss the Kashmir issue, the apparently inoffensive question prompted the PTI leader to retort that he was suffering from migraine and had to first seek treatment in France.

Later, in a covertly recorded interaction, Afridi scolded at least two people about the journalist which went viral in which he mentioned that the journalist ‘attacked the integrity of Pakistan’.

In the leaked clip, the PTI member can be heard using foul language, he also called for action against the journalist, while also threatening to come after Khan, if the members did not deal appropriately with the latter.

He also questioned organizers’ silence on the issue and hurled abuses. Why didn’t you inquire him why this news was published, he asked?

“As far as I am concerned, it would be no issue, but it is a matter of Pakistan’s honour”, he said adding that “If you do not ask this journalist about the news, I will not spare you”.

Following the leaked audio clip, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other press freedom organizations condemned the attack on journalists who grilled Afridi during an event.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[1/2] 🇫🇷🇵🇰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RSF?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RSF</a> strongly supports Paris-based Pakistani journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/younaskhan1977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@younaskhan1977</a>, who is now the target of death threats after he was thrashed and insulted by a famous Pakistani politician, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShehryarAfridi1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShehryarAfridi1</a>, recently visiting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/France?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#France</a>. <a href="https://t.co/rb57oJV3S9">pic.twitter.com/rb57oJV3S9</a></p>— RSF (@RSF_inter) <a href="https://twitter.com/RSF_inter/status/1470457220966006786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“Pakistan: RSF strongly supports Paris-based Pakistani journalist who is now the target of death threats after he was thrashed and insulted by a famous Pakistani politician, Shehryar Afridi, recently visiting France”, RSF wrote in a tweet.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/15-...ani-journalist-in-france-in-leaked-audio-clip
 
LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday arrested a social media activist for running trends against the prime minister on social media, Geo News reported.

A case has been registered against the accused named Sabir Hashmi after the FIA Cyber Crime Wing conducted an operation in Lahore’s Model Town area.

According to the FIA, Sabir was accused of running an “indecent” trend against PM Imran Khan. The agency has seized Hashmi’s mobile phone and other belongings.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), during which he expressed displeasure over the indecent trend that consisted of personal attacks.

Condemning the act, the premier called it “cheap and intolerable”, adding that “such elements cannot be left unchecked and their actions have to be condemned.”

Senator Faisal Javed demands inquiry into matter
Meanwhile, Senator Faisal Javed demanded an inquiry into the matter of spreading rumours against PM's family.

The senator called for strict measures to be taken against the accused for partaking in "yellow journalism and cheap acts".

Calling the accused "the enemies of the state," Javed said that acts like these are against the country and the PM, who has never been involved in corruption.

On the other hand, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill on Sunday had said that the government had approached the country's courts against a journalist who issued "insulting and fabricated" statements about First Lady Bushra Bibi.

The SAPM said that "strict legal action will be taken against those who spread false news about the first lady."

A day ago, a journalist had claimed that Bushra Bibi had "gotten into a fight with PM Imran Khan" and had left Bani Gala for Lahore to stay at her friend, Farah Khan's house. The rumour soon started spreading on social media and WhatsApp groups.

When approached by Geo News, Farah Khan also refuted the news of the couple's alleged fight and separation and denied that the first lady was staying at her place.

GEO
 
Television host and journalist Syed Iqrarul Hassan on Tuesday accused officials of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of detaining him and members of his team for hours at their Karachi office and subjecting them to extreme forms of torture after he attempted to expose alleged corruption within their ranks.

Hassan's ordeal came to light when pictures of him bloodied up, in torn-up clothes and receiving medical treatment on a hospital bed emerged on Twitter. Later, his fellow TV journalist Waseem Badami shared a video of him visiting Hassan at the hospital, by which time the injured journalist had been bandaged up, while his left arm was bound in a sling.

Speaking to ARY News, the channel he works for, Hassan said that he and his team members were "stripped naked, blindfolded and tortured for exposing the corruption of an IB inspector". He alleged that IB officials also shot videos of him after stripping him and his team members naked.

Hassan explained that an officer of IB was taking bribe at the gate of the agency's office and "we tried to report him to the high-ups, but senior IB officer Rizwan Shah manhandled the Sar-e-Aam team and kept beating us."

"We were treated as a mole working for a foreign country," he added.

Hassan claimed he and his team were held hostage for more than three hours. "I got almost 8-10 stitches on my head due to the torture".

He said a few members of his team were even given electric shocks to "sensitive" body parts. "I want to bring [to light] the video we shot at the IB office, but I learnt that it has been discarded by the agency officials".

As a result of the torture, Hassan said his shoulder had been dislocated and that he was undergoing medical treatment.

Hassan is known for his TV show Sar-e-Aam in which he often conducts sting operations in order to expose corruption and other societal flaws.

Following the incident, Deputy Director General IB Iftikhar Nabi Tunio issued a notification — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — suspending five officials "for mistreatment of ARY News team and mishandling the situation".

The suspended officers were Syed Mohiuddin Rizwan (Director, BPS-19), Mehmoob Ali (stenotypist), Inam Ali (stenotypist), Rajab Ali (sub-inspector) and Khawar.

Hassan responded to the development, saying: "I am thankful to the federal government for taking prompt action and suspending five officers involved in the incident."

Senior journalist Hamid Mir condemned the torture of Hassan, saying the incident reminded him of the days when journalists were brutally manhandled in Islamabad and Lahore.

"The current era is worse than the previous ones," he added.

PTI MNA and TV figure Aamir Liaquat Hussain also condemned the incident and called the alleged conduct of IB officials "immoral, reprehensible and shameful".

Writer Shama Junejo said one should not be treated the way Hassan and his team were as "journalism is not a crime."
 
Where are our pti fans, Pakistani journalist gets man handled and attacked...

Pathetic stuff by the govt.

Before someone comes in would like to inform IB is a federal institution it comes under federal govt. Federal govr depts now targeting journalist openly.

Shame on this govt
 
Where are our pti fans, Pakistani journalist gets man handled and attacked...

Pathetic stuff by the govt.

Before someone comes in would like to inform IB is a federal institution it comes under federal govt. Federal govr depts now targeting journalist openly.

Shame on this govt

Sorry, bro. Pakistan needs the Nooras back, true peaceful loving people.
 
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the media bodies have taken a tough stance against the government after the amendments in the Pakistan Electronic Crime Act (PECA) 2016, calling the government's engagement with the media bodies over media laws a “farce”.

In a statement by the JAC, comprising All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND), said the dialogue with the government over the legislation regarding media was being suspended “until the draconian amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) are reversed”.

“The information minister [Fawad Chaudhry] is toying with the media fraternity in the guise of engagement and keeps passing ordinances against freedom of speech while giving the impression that media fraternity is being engaged,” the statement said.

It added that, “There is a grave trail of examples after an example where the ministry of information is tampering with freedom of speech, muzzling the journalists right to report, financially crippling media to influence journalism.”

According to the statement, “The fraternity had warned of this before and appealed to the PM previously as well that a dangerous trend had been emerging which is creating a distance between the government and the public as well as the media workers.”

All media bodies stand united to defend freedom of expression and people’s right to information, it added.

Earlier, APNS, CPNE, PFUJ, PBA, and AEMEND, rejected the “draconian” amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, saying it was a blatant move to stifle media independence, freedom of speech and dissenting voices.

Separately, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) disapproved the amendments in the PECA and demanded immediate withdrawal of the ordinance. It had said that criticism of the proposed legislation has been declared non-bailable, which is undemocratic.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2344729/media-bodies-suspend-dialogue-with-govt-call-it-farce
 
The freeist in SE Asia. Which other country allows media to openly conspire against its National security as Geo and Dawn do.
 
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has announced to fully support the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the media bodies against the PTI-led government, which recently promulgated an ordinance amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement on Tuesday that the ordinance "was a unique blunder where punishment comes before even defining the crime".

She said independent and upright judges had been made to “bow down” before the administration which is against the concept of freedom and independence of the judiciary.

“This black law is a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan and the spirit of the freedoms it promises, she added.

She went on to say that PECA was a violation of basic human rights. The former information minister further said that the PML-N would fight at all forums to defend the freedom of expression and freedom of the press and media. “This PECA is basically a rebranded and re-engineered version of the rejected Pakistan Media Development Authority.”

The PML-N would fight this “draconian and despotic tyrannical rule” of Prime Minister Imran Khan with democratic and Constitutional means, she added.

Aurangzeb said that lawyers, media persons and political workers would join forces with the general public to defeat these "forces of fascism".

“This is a battle to guard the Constitution and democracy of Pakistan which would be fought with everything one could muster up,” the statement quoted her as saying.

PM Imran, she said like every other despot before him, was destined to be defeated.
 
Amid outrage against amendments in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), the federal government has decided that the newly promulgated ordinance would not be implemented “without appropriate safeguards”.

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune late Tuesday that Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan met Prime Minister Imran Khan before his departure for Russia.

The AGP office sources revealed that the government has agreed that it would not implement new Peca ordinance until it is not regulated through "safeguards" which would be added in the rules.

It is also learnt that the AGP will appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday and would apprise the court of government’s position in this regard.

The incumbent government on Monday defended the newly promulgated ordinance amid heavy criticism from all corners.

Prime Minister Imran Khan called the censure unwarranted for amid opposition parties’ announcement that they would challenge the “draconian” law in courts and parliament – the forum that the ruling party avoided while making online “defamation” a non-bailable offence.

In a meeting with the party leaders, sources said, the prime minister dubbed the condemnation of the ordinance by the opposition parties and others uncalled for, saying that the ordinance would deter people from tarnishing others’ respect and dignity. “Such laws were deliberately not made in the past, which led to ruining morality of the youth.”

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the media bodies have also taken a tough stance against the government after the amendments in the Peca, calling the government's engagement with the media bodies over media laws a “farce”.

In a statement by the JAC, comprising All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND), said the dialogue with the government over the legislation regarding media was being suspended “until the draconian amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) are reversed”.

“The information minister [Fawad Chaudhry] is toying with the media fraternity in the guise of engagement and keeps passing ordinances against freedom of speech while giving the impression that media fraternity is being engaged,” the statement said.
 
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Ordinance 2022 on Wednesday, saying individuals cannot be arrested by the government under the said section of the law.

Before the ordinance came into effect, Section 20 that pertained to registration on complaints against individuals by aggrieved parties over defamation was a bailable and non-criminal offence. However, the ordinance made the offence criminal and extended the sentence to five years instead of three years.

During a hearing of the pleas filed against the newly-promulgated ordinance, the high court said the government cannot implement the particular section without ensuring guarantees under Article 19 of the Constitution.

It also directed the attorney general to appear in the court on Thursday and also sought a detailed record from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The high court said the director general of the FIA and the interior secretary would be held accountable if the agency violated its SOPs submitted to the court.

The IHC also clubbed all pleas filed against the PECA Ordinance into a single petition.

On Sunday, President Dr Arif Alvi had promulgated the ordinance to amend the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA) increasing the jail term for defaming any person or institution from three years to five years by making a change in Section 20 of the law.

Under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, which came “into force at once", online public defamation had also been made a cognisable and a non-bailable offence.

Read Bars term PECA ordinance oppressive, extraconstitutional

The complainant has been defined as the aggrieved person, their authorised representative, their guardian in case they were a minor or "a member of the public in respect of a public figure or a holder of public office".

The definition of a "person" has been expanded to include any “company, association or body of people whether incorporated or not, institution, organisation, authority or any other body set up by the government under any law or otherwise”.

The complainant can now seek defamation and criminal proceedings against the accused as it has now become a cognisable offence.

A new section has been inserted in the Act under which a timeline has been given to courts to dispose of a case.

"The trial shall be concluded expeditiously, but preferably not later than six months of taking cognisance of the case," it read.

Criticism against the law

A day after, major opposition parties – PPP and PML-N – had announced that they would challenge the PECA ordinance at every forum, saying the law was an attempt to clamp down on dissent and an aim to silence the opposition, media, civil society and to prevent criticism on government policies frequently debated on social media platforms.

Similarly, the superior bar councils, apex media bodies and rights groups also assailed the new law, calling it an attempt to gag press freedom. The law was also challenged in the Lahore High Court and the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday.
 
Fawad reiterates 'full' support for controversial PECA law

ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Friday defended the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Ordinance 2022, reiterating his “full” support for the law.

The minister took to his official Twitter handle and said that the PECA ordinance was instrumental in protecting people’s dignity on social media.

In response to the criticism regarding the changes in PECA, Fawad claimed that it is possible to “improve the law, but to say that there should be no law or one that shouldn’t be enforced is absurd.”

The minister further said that the ordinance “was not a political but a societal issue” and all political parties should “come together” for media reforms.

Fawad’s remark came a day after the Islamabad High Court Chief (IHC) Justice Athar Minallah described the PECA Ordinance 2022 as “oppressive and draconian”.

The court also extended its order to refrain the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from directly arresting anyone without the complete implementation of its standard operating procedures (SOPs) till March 10 – the next date of hearing.

The IHC CJ observed that Peca was only used to target critics of the government.

It is being said with regret that the proceedings [under Peca] were initiated against those individuals who criticised the government.”

Justice Minallah noted that it did not appear as if this was happening in a democratic country.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2345230/fawad-reiterates-full-support-for-controversial-peca-law
 
Office-bearers of the Joint Action Committee of Pakistan’s media met with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to share their concerns about the draconian laws being promulgated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to gag social, electronic and other media through the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and other laws that severely curb the fundamental right to freedom of expression of all citizens in the country.

The PPP chairman assured the delegation that his party would stand by its manifesto commitment to the freedom of the press in all forms and content, and directed the PPP team to challenge the laws in the courts as well as all forums of political, parliamentary and social expression.

Bilawal also assured the JAC of his own unwavering support as well as the party’s complete solidarity in the joint endeavour to fight for the inalienable fundamental, constitutional and democratic rights of the people of Pakistan.

The members of the delegation included senior representatives of the CPNE, APNS, AEMEND and PBA.

Those who attended the meeting included Sarmad Ali, Nazafreen Saigol, Dr Jabbar Khattak, Taher A Khan, Shakeel Masud, Shahab Zuberi, Athar Qazi, Zahid Mazhar, Ijazul Haque, Amir Mehmood, Hafiz Tariq, and Shahab Mahmoud. PPP leaders Sherry Rehman, Shazia Marri and Faisal Karim Kundi were also present.
 
The press should never be free enough that traitors like Hamid Mir be allowed to spew venom against the military. As I often argue there should be a limit to freedom. Guys like Hamid Mir in the name of freedom of press support the enemies of the country. By all means criticize the government without backing the terrorists and enemy countries. There is a clear difference between the two.
 
Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif instructed his party on Monday to table a resolution in parliament under the Rule 145 to repeal the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Ordinance.

During a meeting with a delegation of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the media, Shehbaz, also the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), further instructed the party’s lawmakers to submit a requisition for a joint sitting of parliament.

Under the Rule 145, a resolution is tabled in the joint sitting of parliament to repeal an ordinance. The ordinance is revoked after the approval of the resolution. Shahbaz decided to requisition the joint sitting to repeal the “black law against media” and instructed the party to take practical steps in this regard.

The JAC delegation included leaders of the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND), the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) and the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS).

Shahbaz assured the delegation that if Almighty Allah gave the opportunity and the PML-N came to power, it would repeal the “black, authoritarian and anti-media laws” that violated the constitutional right to freedom of access to information.

Shahbaz supported the JAC decision to challenge the PECA amendment in the court. He termed the PECA Amendment Ordinance a manifestation of the “authoritarian, fascist and undemocratic” thinking of the present government.

“We reject these amendments and will challenge all these black laws at every legal forum to block them,” Shehbaz told the delegation. He added that the media was like a mirror, and “if the rulers cannot see their faces then they should improve their features”.

Shahbaz Sharif said that the rulers were under the illusion that they might suppress the voices of truth through jails, punishments, imprisonment, fines and black laws. “Neither this happened in the past nor could it happen now,” he added.

While paying tribute to the historic struggle by the media for freedom of expression and speaking the truth, the National Assembly opposition leader said that the media had fought an unforgettable war for its independence at various stages of history.

“Had the government any bona fide intentions, the ordinance would have been presented in parliament and “the backdoor of ordinance” would not have been used. The government wants to shut the eyes, tongues and ears of the media to cover up its worst and historic failures on every front,” he added.

“We will not allow this to happen,” he said. He paid tribute to the struggle of the JAC against black laws and for media freedom. To achieve this cause, he assured the delegation of full support of his party and as the leader of the opposition.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2345802/pml-n-to-seek-repeal-of-peca-law-tweak-through-joint-sitting
 
It seems PM has been misguided about PECA ordinance: IHC

ISLAMABAD:
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah took exception on Tuesday to the remarks made by Prime Minister Imran Khan in support of the controversial PECA ordinance, saying it seemed like the prime minister had been misguided about the law.

During the hearing of a petition filed against the ordinance by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) president, the IHC CJ said, “From the speech made by the prime minister, it was apparent that he was misguided.”

Justice Minallah said that anti-defamation laws already existed in Pakistan independent of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The CJ said that in Pakistan, however, laws are implemented to target the critics.

The high court also barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from acting against anyone without following the proper arrest protocols.

The IHC also clubbed the application filed by the LHCBA with other petitions against PECA being heard by the same bench, and fixed the case's hearing for March 10.

In its plea, the LHCBA president said the application raised new points in the case. It said the FIA could not take action in matters that were private in nature. It added that even Islam allowed the freedom of expression.

PM defends PECA amendment

The remarks by the IHC judge came a day after the prime minister defended the PECA ordinance, saying that the amendments were brought because “social media was filled with filth such as child pornography”.

According to PM Imran, the content being shared on social media was causing a threat to the institution of family. He had regretted that even he was not being spared, recalling that a few years ago a journalist had reported that his wife had left him and that he had done something illegal at his Bani Gala residence.

Lamenting that he had filed a case but hasn’t got relief in three years, he had said the same journalist had now written that his wife has left the house. “If this can happen with the country’s prime minister ... imagine what would happen to the rest of the people,” he had wondered.

Shocking as it may seem, Imran had revealed that the same journalist was locked up and beaten for three days when he wrote about former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s corruption during the PML-N government.

The prime minister had charged that there were journalists who were spreading filth in exchange for money, adding that the good journalists had no issue with PECA and would want fake news to be eliminated.

Imran recalled that three leading newspapers had carried stories, stating that the selection of AJK’s PM was based on some magic and movement of stars. He had said one couldn’t even think about saying such things under democracy in any other country.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2345809/it-seems-pm-has-been-misguided-about-peca-ordinance-ihc
 
Four media bodies challenge Peca in IHC

ISLAMABAD: A number of bodies representing electronic and print media organisations filed petitions with the Islamabad High Court challenging the amen*dments in the Prevention of Elect*ronic Crimes Act (Peca) on Wednesday.

The Pakistan Broadcasters Association, All Pakistan Newspapers Society, Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors, and the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors requested the court to declare as unconstitutional the presidential ordinance issued last month to toughen the anti-media law.

The petition stated that the amendments in sections 2 and 3 of Peca would kill freedom of expression because “the fear of being dragged into criminal proceedings by the investigating agency on the complaint of any member of the public for alleged defamation of public officials are bound to chill free speech and fair comment”.

The Islamabad High Court, after hearing a petition filed by a faction of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), had on Feb 23 stopped the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from making any arrest under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

Chief Justice Athar Minallah of the IHC recalled that the FIA had already submitted standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the mode of exercising powers in relation to complaints under section 20.

According to the SOPs, a person is not to be arrested without giving the individual a reasonable opportunity to explain his point of view.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1678020/four-media-bodies-challenge-peca-in-ihc
 
CPNE rejects anti-media ‘black laws’

A Media Freedom Round Table Conference organised by the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) rejected all “black laws” against the media, including the PECA Ordinance.

Participants of the conference said that this was not the first time that the government was trying to suppress freedom of the press, freedom of expression and access to information. They said that media organisations have united and thwarted all conspiracies.

They also added that the journalist community, human rights organisations, civil society and the legal community are ready to take extreme measures and make all kinds of sacrifices to thwart any tactic of restricting freedom of expression.

The participants of the conference, while noting the revelations of the report, also condemned the kidnapping and murder of journalists in Pakistan.

The conference was attended by a large number of civil society representatives, journalist organisations, lawyers, members of human rights organisations, as the CPNE launched its Media Freedom Report 2021.

CPNE Secretary General Amir Mahmood, in a joint resolution, rejected the PECA Ordinance, saying that they will fight till the end for the right to freedom and freedom of the media, and the right of the people to know.

Speaking at the conference, Karachi Press Club (KPC) President Fazil Jamili said that media organisations thwarted all conspiracies in the past, and if they remain united then no force could dare to block freedom of expression in the country.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Vice Chairman Qazi Khidr said that the commission believes in freedom of the press and freedom of expression. He added that the HRCP rejects unconstitutional and anti-human rights laws such as PECA.

Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) President Shahab Sarki termed the amendments to PECA as a violation of Articles 19 and 19A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Arts Council of Pakistan President Ahmad Shah said that the government was taking irrational steps to divert attention from the real issues so that the truth could not reach the people. While the media and journalists are being affected by this legislation, those belonging to arts and literature are also being targeted, he added.

Broadcast journalist Najia Asher called for the creation of a digital wing with the help of technology experts to work on cyber laws. She also feared that the harassment faced by women on social media may further reduce their representation in the industry.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) Chairman Owais Aslam Ali highlighted that disinformation is deliberate and systematic news broadcast by media outlets set up by political parties which is detrimental to the survival of democracy. He added that guidelines need to be set up regarding this, and the political parties themselves should play an active role in this process.

Anchorperson Faisal Aziz said that today every other person on social media calls himself a journalist, due to which the survival of actual journalists is in danger. He added that the way news spreads on social media, it is very difficult to verify them. He called for effective measures on these matters.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2346322/cpne-rejects-anti-media-black-laws
 
The Media Joint Action Committee has taken a serious note of the false allegations made by Prime Minster Imran Khan against the media in his public address on Sunday.

Imran had alleged that media houses had been bought by political parties and some were also being funded from foreign sources.

“In effect, this amounts to accusing the media of corruption,” the statement said on Monday. It added that the JAC challenged the prime minister to prove these scandalous allegations. “Being in the government he has the resources to Investigate and prove it,” the statement said.

The Joint Action Committee asked the prime minister to understand that false and baseless statements about media houses would not serve any purpose. “Media and journalists are performing their professional responsibilities guaranteed by the Constitution,” it further said.

The JAC requested Imran not to make such statements for political point scoring. “If proof cannot be provided for these allegations within a reasonable time, JAC reserves its right to approach the honourable judiciary for relief against these scandalous, false and defamatory allegations,” it added.
 
The PK media is the freeist in the world. In no country can a media be brought by the mafia/Foreign powers, in no country is there libel laws that arent enforced, in no country is the media responsible for spreading more fake news than PK, in no country can media actively conspire to bring down an elected govt against the country’s own constitution. Next time anyone sees PK media isn't the freeist in the World, tell them to shut up. There are exceptions to this, if you live Sindh you will be murdered by the mafia, don't believe me ask Memon and Jokhio, but as [MENTION=135038]Major[/MENTION] said that isn't a problem.
 
Newly-appointed Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday announced disbanding the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA), saying no "black law" that restricted people's constitutional right to freedom of expression would be "enacted or worked upon".

"I'm announcing today that the PMDA, in whatever shape or form it was working until now, is now being disbanded," Aurangzeb announced while addressing a presser shortly after taking oath as the information minister.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, on eve of the talk, had expressed solidarity with journalists.

The minister added that her party remained involved with the media during the past four years in its struggle against censorship.

She said that many media workers were sacked from their jobs and were targeted for fulfilling their duties, and expressed solidarity with all of them.

The info minister went on to say that a society, where freedom of expression prevails, strengthens the state. "The media enables accountability of governments, thus enhancing the latter's performance."

She also announced that a joint committee comprising all stakeholders, including media organisations, will meet to discuss the issues being faced by the media.

She added that a “consultative solution” acceptable to all will be adopted as a result.

Aurangzeb further said that no regulatory authority other than the already functioning Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) would be established.

PECA Ordinance

The information minister recalled how the previous PTI regime had attempted to introduce a ‘black law’ known as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022.

According to her, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar will be reviewing the Peca law of 2016, including all stakeholders in the consultation.

She lamented that the ordinance was earlier used to file a first information report (FIR) against a journalist and torture him during a raid at his house.

On the bill pertaining to the protection of journalists, the newly-appointed information minister said it would be implemented soon.

She added that the government is ready to accept criticism fully “if it improved the lives of Pakistanis and the governance.”

https://tribune.com.pk/story/235333...rmation-minister-announces-disbanding-of-pmda
 
The media in Pakistan is totally free in the sense they can air and do what they want but it's not cheap. It's available to the highest bidder and will do as they want. There was a leaked audio of Maryam Nawaz claiming to control both Geo and Dunya news. There's also a letter from PML N supremo Nawaz Shariff to Mir Shakil ur Rahman outlining how much they will pay per story against PTI and Imran Khan.
 
Pakistan has dropped further on the list of countries in terms of protection of journalists in a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released on the World Press Freedom Day.

According to the RSF report, Pakistan has fallen by 12 places to 157 out of 180 countries. Last year, Pakistan was ranked 145 on the list.

Expressing his concern on the worsening situation, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) President Kazim Khan said that one can disagree with the editorial policy, however, no one can impose their decision on an institution.

Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili said that freedom of expression will be protected by putting personal interests above everything.

World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every year on May 3 to highlight the fundamental principles of press freedom and present the current state of journalism to the world.

This day is also celebrated to show solidarity and pay tribute to the journalists who were killed, injured or affected while performing their duties.

GEO
 
Back
Top