Karachi:
The joint action committee of the media bodies organized a protest demonstration on Tuesday before the Karachi Press Club in response to a call from the Pakistani Federation of Journalists (PFUJ) against a recent amendment by Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Representatives of various media organizations, civil society groups, unions, lawyers and teachers joined and supported the demonstration.
PECA, a law promulgated in 2016, was adopted by lower and superior houses, aimed at approaching cybercrime and regulating electronic communication in Pakistan. It was intended to combat online offenses such as hacking, data theft and cyberbullying. Many journalists and media organizations have raised concerns about his implications for press freedom and freedom of expression.
“The government must learn the lessons because it was used previously against the same party, which had adopted the law in a hurry,” said Mazhar Abbas, a main member of Pfuj.
Eminent personalities, including journalists, media owners, publishers and workers from organizations such as PFUJ, Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), the editors of Pakistan (CPNE) and Others have addressed to the demonstrators.
Among those who spoke on occasion, let us quote the president of Kuj Tahir Hassan Khan, the senior leaders of the PFUJ Saeed Sarbazi Lala Asad, Imtiaz Khan Faran, Azhar Abbas, the chief of the Nasir Mansoor unions, the Tauseef teacher, Rahman Korani Karachi Bar Association and Athaar Qazi. The speakers condemned the government’s approach to media regulations and the adoption of the amendment in a hurry without consulting the stakeholders.
Kuj chief Imtiaz Khan Faran stressed that special laws are being promulgated to control the media landscape. He asked why the government had not engaged in dialogue with the media bodies concerning these changes, which describes him as a conspiracy against the working journalists.
Mazhar Abbas described the situation as “civil martial law”. He urged the joint action committee to plead for the repeal of the PECA, declaring that they would not compromise on their rights.
Azhar Abbas called for unity among media organizations in order to demonstrate collective strength to the government. The representative of PBA Qazi Ather reaffirmed the commitment to safeguarding press freedom, declaring that they would not allow their voice to be deleted.
Lala Asad announced plans for a long step in Islamabad in the context of their continuous fight against oppressive laws. Kuj president Tahir Hassan Khan reiterated that journalists’ bodies would not accept what he called a “draconian law”.
