Islamabad:
The chief of Jamiat Ulema-E-Islam (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, assured Monday the parliamentary journalists of his full support on his complaints about the bill of the Peca amendment.
He pointed out that politics and journalism have always been deeply connected, particularly within the parliamentary landscape.
He was talking during his visit to the office of the Association of Parliamentary Reporters (PRA) at the House of Parliament, where he was received by the president of PRA, Usman Khan, Secretary Naveed Akbar and other body members.
During the visit, PRA officials informed the Chief of Jui-F about the bill of the Peca amendment.
“Legislators write legislation based on specific circumstances, but over time, these laws lose their relevance,” said the Chief of Jui-F.
He also pointed to the role of state institutions, saying: “It is surprising how, for the powers they are, the Constitution seems to be a malleable tool, as if it were never destined to govern the country, but rather governs them.”
Reiterating his position against the PCA law, he said that journalists should have been consulted before their amendments. “I urged the president to take the opinions of journalists and involve media organizations before signing the bill. He had also asked him to delay his approval, but external pressure led to the rapid promulgation of the bill,” affirmed.
According to him, the government initially sought to boost the amendment without writing a formal text. “They wanted an immediate vote, but when a draft was demanded, only after an intense opposition was finally presented.”
He argued that accepting the draft in its original form would have effectively turned Pakistan into a “nominal democracy with the essence of martial law.”
