The journalist fraternity on Saturday unanimously rejected the amendments in the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crime Act (Peca) and demanded immediate withdrawal of cases against journalists under the law.
The journalists also demanded better working environment for journalists in the media houses with economic security.
The demands came in an event titled ‘Dialogue on Receding Press Freedom and Rising Job Security’ organised by the Karachi Union of Journalists (Dastoor) at the Karachi Press Club.
The participants also adopted a resolution that stated that Peca had been promulgated to put the journalists under pressure and completely restrict the independent role of the media.
The resolution said it was promised by the government that Peca would not be used against journalists, but the promise was violated, which was highly condemnable.
The resolution demanded that all cases against journalists under Peca be withdrawn unconditionally and immediately. It was also demanded that the Act be reviewed so that it was not used for political vendetta.
The participants also demanded all due salaries and arrears of journalists and media workers be cleared and payments to media workers be made in a timely manner.
The meeting also condemned closure of Metro TV and demanded immediate restoration of the channel. It was said that the government should provide jobs to the affected journalists and media workers .
It resolved that media workers be protected from the financial hardships generated by government policies affecting the media sector.
The meeting also observed that current atmosphere of fear and panic was unbearable and harmful for the democratic structure of the country and demanded that journalists be provided with a better working environment and economic security.
The journalists also called for a joint platform to discuss issues faced by the journalist fraternity. The participants stated that economic pressure had increasingly become a potent mechanism for undermining media freedom.
The gathering reaffirmed that the protection of freedom of expression and the right to access information were indispensable pillars of a functioning democracy.
Addressing the participants, senior journalist Mazhar Abbas stressed the need for joint struggle of all media bodies for freedom of expression and press, and educating the journalists about getting their due rights under the relevant laws.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (Dastoor) Secretary AH Khanzada said that journalists were working under extreme stress.
Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili said that though the media organisations had received billions of rupees in the head of advertisements but its benefits could not be transferred to the media workers.
He said that after controlling the media houses, efforts were being made to impose restrictions on press clubs. He called for joint struggle for press freedom.
The speakers expressed concern over the fact that the state had earlier assured the journalistic community that Peca would not be deployed against the press but such promises were not fulfilled.
Among those who addressed the convention were senior journalists Maqsood Yousufi, KUJ (Dastoor) President Nasrullah Chaudhry, KUJ President Tahir Hasan Khan, KUJ Secretary Lubna Jerar Naqvi, academic Saleem Mughal, Yasmeen Farooqui and others.
