KARACHI: Journalist bodies, rights groups and politicians have condemned the enforcement of what they described as draconian laws like the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), which they said are being used to evade democratic accountability amid a deepening governance crisis.
The Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) organised a two-day protest camp outside the Karachi Press Club in response to a call by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) for the rights of journalists and media workers.
Pakistan Peoples Party leader and Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel InamMemon, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, city chief of Jamaat-iIslami Monem Zafar, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairman Asad Iqbal Butt, leaders of trade unions, lawyers, human rights defenders and civil society visited the camp to show solidarity with the journalist fraternity.
According to a resolution adopted in the protest camp, the PFUJ (headed by Afzal Butt) and democratic forces supporting its movement demanded ‘withdrawal of the black laws restricting media freedom and the adoption of due process through thorough public debate and consultation with stakeholders in future legislation’.
It also demanded an urgent relief package for media workers who were left ‘jobless because of government policies inimical to the industry and failure to protect the rights of the employees from exploitation by owners’.
The forum also demanded anaudit of actions taken against media professionals under the black laws and accountability of the officialsinvolved in violating repeated commitments of government leaders of not using Peca against journalism.It called for effective activation of Journalist Protection Commissions in allprovincesandthefederalcapital.
The PFUJ also condemned massive forced retrenchment, closure and downsizing of media houses, delay in salaries and denial of job security to media workers.
The organisation appealed to the political, bar, trade union, human rights and civil society organisations to join the journalists’ movement for freedom of press and freedom of expression.
It urged all political forces, especially elected public representatives, to pursue the withdrawal of the black laws being brandished against freedom of expression.
Prominent among those addressed the gathering were Faisal Edhi, Nasir Mansoor, Zehra Khan, Mehnaz Rehman, Mazhar Abbas, Dr Tuseef Ahmed Khan, Azhar Abbas, Owais Toheed, Afzal Butt, Tahir Hasan Khan and others.Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sindh government have always respected press freedom and played their role in protecting the rights of journalists.
‘The PPP itself has faced a prolonged media trial for many years.
Despite this, the Sindh government has never stopped advertisements to any media organisation or imposed any restrictions on press freedom,’ he said.
He said President Asif AliZardari faced the ‘most extensive media trial’, but he never made any statement against any media organisation.
‘Everyone has the right to report news, but the news must be based on facts. It is not right to impose one’s own version of events on someone.
Presenting personal thoughts and opinions as facts is not journalism, he said.