PM Shahbaz Must Fulfil His Promise, Urgently Notify Safety Commission For Journalists: PJSC

News Desk

Islamabad: “Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif must fulfil the promise he made at an international conference in Islamabad in December 2022 to formally operationalise the Federal Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, by urgently notifying the federal safety commission for journalists” states a resolution passed by the Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC) in Islamabad on Thursday.

#Islamabad
Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC) demands immediate operationalization of federal law on protection of media practitioners urging @CMShehbaz to honour his “promise” he made in December 2022.@Marriyum_A pic.twitter.com/2LhjxofPyS

— Freedom Network (@pressfreedompk) June 15, 2023

The resolution was passed after a meeting of the federal chapter of the Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC), a grouping of journalist representative bodies, national and international media watchdogs, human rights commissions, digital rights groups, human rights advocates, and political parties, among others.

“The law was enacted 19 months ago – its non-operationalization continues to mock the extraordinary parliamentary consensus from all major parties that passed it, including by PML-N, PPP, PTI, JUI, ANP, MQM, PML-Q, BAP and others, and allows impunity of crimes against journalists to perpetuate itself, particularly in Islamabad,” the resolution, a copy is available to The PenPK.com, mentions.

At Islamabad Journalist Safety Forum today, I highlighted steps taken by the government to ensure media freedom. In Asia, Pakistan has performed very well on the UN Plan of Action. I shared the resolve to fully implement the Protection of Journalists & Media Professionals Act.

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) December 6, 2022

The Coalition meeting was informed that the PJSC successfully influenced the process of the passage of the federal and Sindh legislations both of which made Pakistan the first country in the world to specifically legislate on the safety of journalists inspired by the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and Issues of Impunity.

The PJSC is currently working with the Sindh Commission for the Protection of Journalists and other media professionals.

The resolution states, “The federal government must, as promised, start the process of removing Section 6 from the Federal Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, which makes it mandatory for journalists to prove their “good faith and intent” if their journalism is challenged and before they can benefit from the law.”

At Islamabad Journalist Safety Forum, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted steps taken by the government to ensure media freedom. He shared the resolve to fully implement the Protection of Journalists & Media Professionals Act. pic.twitter.com/9U3FZ8eNo8

— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) December 6, 2022

“Section 6 effectively nullifies the spirit of the otherwise excellent law. This “pre-qualification” clause must be removed from the law,” it further states. The PJSC meeting also expressed concern at the ongoing wave of intimidation against journalists in the country and repeated attempts by both the previous and present governments to make media and free speech-related laws and regulations more draconian.

The meeting pointed out that dozens of journalists have been arrested, kidnapped, assaulted, and injured since the passage of the Federal Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, passed in 2021, but were not able to benefit from it in the absence of a safety commission.

“Attacks on independent journalism block access to essential information, damaging during ongoing political and economic crises when the public needs reliable news to understand issues & respond to them,” @khattak63 #WPFD2023 #WPFD #WPFD23 https://t.co/KBMSIXvh9g

— Freedom Network (@pressfreedompk) May 3, 2023

The federal government and its subordinate institutions must stop branding journalists as traitors and enemies of the state and desist from invoking colonial-era laws and concepts in dealing with dissent and debate within the media landscape, the resolution, a copy of it is available with this correspondent states.