ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has
chalked out a wide ranging plan to observe Press Freedom day today (3rd of May)
and will arrange protest rallies across the country as the media and press
freedom in the country is deteriorating continuously and apart from media
freedom, freedom of speech and expression guaranteed in the Constitution of
Pakistan is severely compromised, says a press release issued here.
The PFUJ in collaboration with Rawalpindi and Islamabad
Union of Journalist (RIUJ) will arrange protest rally in front of the
Parliament House to press its six point demands forwarded to Government of
Pakistan for the restoration of media and press freedom in the country. Apart
from rally in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, all the other unions of journalists
will also hold protest rallies across the country, in support of six point
demands and restoration of media and press freedom in the country which is
passing through worst time in history of Pakistan. The day will herald the
begging of second phase of ‘Sahafi Bachao [save journalists] Movement’.
Demands on the press freedom day include:
1- Withdrawal of announced and unannounced ban and press
advices placed on media. 2- Immediate Restoration of retrenched journalists and
payment/ clearance of dues pending with government and media houses. 3- Law for
services structure in TV channels. 4- Abolition of all the laws and regulations
devised and designed to erode and compromise Media and Press freedom. 5-
Restoration of 25% fixed quota for regional newspapers and abolition of
centralised policy. 6- Immediate implementation of wage board award and 7-
Relief package for media workers effected by COVID-19.
In addition to the above demands, the PFUJ also stressed the
government to immediately release Jang and Geo Group Editor-in Chief Mir
Shakil-ur-Rahman whose detention in a 34 years old property case is apparently
an attempt to gag and control mainstream media.
Currently media in Pakistan is under serious threats and
facing worst financial crisis that was created to suppress media and voices of
dissent in the country. Even some religious elements have been launched to
demean and defame media as whole and discredit journalist community
specifically.
However, the leader ship of PFUJ under its President
Shehzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi is committed to fighting on
all fronts for safeguarding media and press freedom which is hallmark of
journalist community in entire world including Pakistan. In the fight against
corruption and ensuring good governance and transparency, only free, fair and
balanced media can ensure all such objectives for bringing respect for Pakistan
in comity of nations.
“Currently due to highhandedness and arm twisting tactics
Pakistan is losing credibility across the world due to deteriorating media
freedom in the country and further saw decline on media freedom index globally”
the PFUJ reminded. “The glaring example of arm twisting is detention of Jang/
Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman by the National Accountability
Bureau in a 34 years old property case,” the PFUJ statement read.
On the Press Freedom Day, the PFUJ has shown concern on
deteriorating media freedom and direct life threats to journalists and some top
anchors, just to malign them into controversies by using dirty tricks and
social media by posting image and photographs of female family members with
abusive and threatening hashtags.
“Such a campaign was harming and tarnishing the image of
country around the globe at a time when Pakistan needs to promote its soft
image, which is only possible through free media and working journalist and
media workers; therefore, the State should take appropriate measures to ensure
media freedom, freedom of expression and speech in the country guaranteed by
the Constitution of Pakistan,” the PFUJ demanded.
The largest forum of journalists in the country also demanded
to take immediate and appropriate measures for the protection of lives of
journalists from deadly coronavirus which infecting and impacting journalist
community due to the criminal negligence of owners of the media houses and
government machinery which failed in implementation of SOPs and guidelines
issued by the federal and provincial governments.
The PFUJ has urged the journalist community to come out on
the streets today in large numbers – observing prescribed safety measure of
social distancing and wearing gloves and masks — in support of their demands
and for the resolution of issues confronted by the media in Pakistan. Rallies
across Pakistan will be culminated after Iftar and Maghrib prayers.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)’s “Report on
Media Safety and Press Freedom in 2019-2020” released to commemorate the World
Press Freedom Day on May 3 (today), has detailed the alarming situation
surrounding COVID-19 created for the Pakistani media.
This year, the media in Pakistan, is operating under a new
and challenging environment created by the spread of COVID-19. Since the spread
of the pandemic in the country, two journalists have died and at least 38 media
workers have tested positive.
The report says that between January 2019 and April 2020,
journalists in Pakistan worked under increasing restrictions with little
accountability of those who limit freedom of expression, continue to target
journalists and aim to discredit the work of the media through a range of tools
from attacking journalists to placing financial constraints on media outlets as
a pressure tactic.
There have also been at least five arrests of journalists.
The most high-profile case of a media personnel arrested is the arrest of the
Jang and Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on March 12,
2020. Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau
(NAB) irregularities in the purchase of his residential property 34 years
earlier, however, it raised concerns about press freedom and appeared to be an
attempt to pressurise the largest media group in the country. Despite numerous
local and international calls for his release, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman remains
behind bars.
According to the report most media organisations as well as
the government have not ensured the effective implementation of safety
protocols nor the timely provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to
media workers.
A key recommendation of the report is calling on Pakistan’s
media associations, including the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), The
All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Society
(CPNE), to develop detailed workable guidelines for all media workers on how to
cover the coronavirus safely and to monitor their implementation by their
member organisations.
The PPF has also urged the government to provide support to
the media in ensuring the safety of media workers.
In addition to the protection of media workers, the
coronavirus has also created new challenges for the media on how to cover the
pandemic, ensuring accurate information as fake news is circulated on social
media platforms, making sense of data on the virus and government rhetoric that
undermines media coverage as well as the financial setback created by the
virus, which has send much of the world in some form of lockdown.
The report also recommends that all levels of government
recognise the need for free flow of information during this time, respect the
right to freedom of expression and to release all journalists who have been
arrested for their work.
The report also discusses factors surrounding press freedom
and the safety of journalists in Pakistan during 2019-20 that has seen an
increased muzzling of the freedom of expression in a country that has an
already weak track record on press freedom.
Journalists have come under fire for their work in various
arenas and have faced physical assault, including in two instances deaths of
journalists due to their work. In at least one instance this year, a journalist
was briefly abducted and harassed. In another instance, the house of a
journalist was raided and a publishing house printing one of renowned writer’s
books in Urdu was raided.
In addition to physical acts of violence and intimidation,
journalists have faced threats, both in person and online. This already
high-risk environment which journalists operate under has been further made
difficult by the policies and rhetoric of the government, which in 2019 likened
critical media coverage to treason. While the government dismissed curbs on
press freedom in Pakistan as a “joke”, the policies and proposals of the
government including media courts and social media regulations, indicate a
control over the autonomy of the media.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
(Pemra) has on numerous instances provided “advice” to the media which creates
controls on what the media can cover and what could be unacceptable. During
this time period, on numerous occasions, television channels or shows have been
removed from air during interviews with opposition politicians.
Between January 2019 and April 2020, there have been
proposals to regulate social media content. This led to various social media
companies threatening to leave Pakistan and creating a grim picture for the
opportunity for free expression online.
An environment where journalists are the target of
government and other officials’ scorn and are often threatened for their work —
both verbally and physically — creates a bleak picture for press freedom and
the safety of journalists in Pakistan.
Newspaper: The
News
