Media workers’ associations, press clubs to form alliance for free media, freedom of expression

ISLAMABAD: Journalist unions, press clubs and media workers’ associations held a meeting at the National Press Club Islamabad on Saturday and decided to form an alliance for free media to ensure freedom of expression in the country.

The meeting was attended by Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors President Azhar Abbas, Secretary General Tariq Mehmood, Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors Vice President Amir Mehmood, Secretary General Aijazul Haq, Karachi Press Club President Saeed Sarbazi, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari, Islamabad Press Club President Anwar Raza, Secretary Raja Khalil, Secretary Finance Nayar Ali, Peshawar Press Club President Arshad Aziz Malik, Secretary Irfan Moosa Zai, Quetta Press Club President Khalid Rind, Secretary Banaras Khan, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (Dastoor) President Nawaz Raza, Secretary AH Khanzada, PFUJ President Afzal Butt, PFUJ President GM Jamali, and Parliamentary Reporters Association President Usman Khan and Executive Committee AEMEND members Rehan Khan and Mubarak Ali.

It was said in the meeting that for the past several years, efforts have been made to restrict the freedom of expression in one way or another, impose censorship and silence those who raise their voice against such oppression. The participants of the meeting were of the view that these ef forts are gradually increasing. Therefore, if editors, journalists and media workers remain silent on this issue, the current situation will worsen.

The meeting agreed on some fundamental points to ensure freedom of expression and the press in the country. All participants agreed on following common agenda to fight for this cause.

1. Ensuring free speech/freedom of media: No society can progress without a free media. Freedom of speech generates dialogue and debate which is essential in every democratic society. Journalist organisations have been campaigning for long for this right—a right that is enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan. For the last many, years efforts have been afoot to curtail free speech and freedom of media. A joint effort is needed to block this.

2. Safety and protection of journalists: Scores of journalists have been killed, and several abducted or incarcerated by state and non-state actors in last many years. At the same time, many continue to face pressures and persecution while performing their professional duties. The safety of journalists has become a major issue that needs urgent attention. Enforcement of the ‘Protection of Journalists and Media Professional Act’ in letter and spirit is the need of the day.

3. Jointly resisting any attack on media houses from state or non-state actors: Pressures and demands to discontinue publication of columns and articles of certain writers, or to stop airing of certain television programmes, or to sack journalists have become the order of the day. Those resisting such undue pressures from the Government and state institutions have often been subjected to different types of persecution, including stoppage of government advertisements and blocking of a television channel’s transmission. This is completely unacceptable. One for all and all for one kind of strategy is needed to counter such pressures.

4. Character assassination of journalists on social and mainstream media: It has been noted that in the last few years successive governments, political parties and some state institutions have adopted the policy to defame independent-minded journalists and to tarnish their image through a sustained campaign. Unfortunately, even some media persons and journalists have also joined hands with the powerful institutions in this ugly campaign. Some TV channels and newspapers have tried to justify such defamatory campaigns, accusing media organisations and professional journalists of committing treason and even blasphemy.

There is an urgent need to not only condemn this practice, but also act collectively to put a stop to it. Media organisations and journalists can have different editorial policies and report the same stories differently, and there can be fair and justified criticism of these stories and opinions. But if media organisations start to run campaigns against journalists, then they themselves are likely to become a threat to media freedom in this county.

After agreeing on all these points in the meeting, a steering committee was immediately constituted which includes the presidents and secretaries of all the representative organizations.

It was decided in the meeting that a joint effort will be made to remove all obstacles in the way of freedom of expression in Pakistan and in this regard a media convention will be organized soon in Islamabad to which the government, political parties, human rights and bar associations along with other media organizations will also be invited.