Call to end impunity of crimes against Journalists

ISLAMABAD, May 2 (DNA): On eve of the international press freedom day on
Monday the PPP calls for legislation to end impunity of crimes against
journalists and an end to visible and invisible manipulations to control
media content on various pretexts, said the secretary general of PPPP in
a statement on Sunday.

“In addition to the usual threats of murder, physical assault and
abduction of media personnel we are also witnessing control of media
content in the name of national security and 5 G war. It is a measure of
the courage and resilience of our media persons to continue working
under these stressful conditions which the Party acknowledges”

It is time to set up a bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on ‘Freedom of
Expression’, he said. The media content is being controlled through
remote manipulation, sackings of journalists, self-censorship and gross
misuse of Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act 2016, he said.

Blatantly disregarding the law the investigation agency namely FIA has
refused to place before Houses of Parliament its six monthly reports.
There is a need for the accountability of the investigation agency as
well as amendment to PECA 2016 in consultation with all stakeholders.

“The international press freedom day this year coincides with the tenth
anniversary of taking out Osama bin Laden from his hideout. It is also
being observed at a time of introspection and calls by the high and
mighty in Pakistan for making the country a ‘normal’ state”.

Isn’t the international press freedom day this year an apt occasion to
publish the Abbottabad Commission report to achieve the objective of
normality, he asked. The world is not conspiring against us, we are
conspiring against ourselves, he said.

Next to the right to life the most important right is the right to
freedom of expression and association as all other rights flowed from
it. This right is denied by some holding guns in their hands and by some
others carrying religious books on their heads, he said.

Freedom of speech is a constitutionally guaranteed right under Article
19.  It is a fundamental right of every citizen, not only of
journalists.

Recalling that in the Faiz abad dharna case Justice Qazi Faez Isa gave
some directions with respect to media freedoms he said that instead of
implementing them a reference was filed against him and called for the
implementation of the SC verdict.

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