Karachi:
The Joint Action Committee of the media organists organized a demonstration of protest against Karachi Press Club on Tuesday in response to an appeal of the Federation of Pakistan Journalists of the Union (PFUJ) against a recent amendment in the Crime Law Pakistan electronics (Peca).
Representatives of several media organizations, civil society groups, unions, groups of lawyers and teachers joined and supported the protest.
The PECA, a law promulgated in 2016, was approved by the lower and higher houses, aimed at addressing cybernetic crime and regulating electronic communication in Pakistan. It was intended to combat online crimes such as piracy, data theft and cyberbullying. Many journalists and media organizations have expressed concern regarding their implications on freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
“The Government has to learn the lessons, since it was previously used against the same party, which had approved the law in a hurry,” said Mazhar Abbas, main member of Pfuj.
Prominent figures, including journalists, media owners, editors and workers of organizations such as PFUJ, the union of journalists of Karachi (Kuj), the Broadcasters Association of Pakistan (PBA), newspapers of newspapers of the Council of Pakistan (CPNE) and others They went to the protest.
Among those who spoke on the occasion, they included the president of Kuj, Tahir Hassan Khan, the main leaders of Pfuj, Saeed Sarbazi Lala Asad, Imtiaz Khan Faran, Azha The Karachi and Athar Qazi Bars Association. The speakers condemned the government approach for the regulation of the media and the approval of the amendment in a hurry without consulting the stakeholders.
Kuj leader, Imtiaz Khan Faran, stressed that special laws are being promulgated to control the media landscape. He questioned why the Government had not dedicated himself to dialogue with the media agencies regarding these changes, qualifying him as a conspiracy against journalists who work.
Mazhar Abbas characterized the situation as a “civil martial law.” He urged the joint action committee to advocate for the repeal of Peca, stating that they would not compromise their rights.
Azhar Abbas asked the unit among media organizations to demonstrate the collective force to the government. The representative of the PBA, Qazi Ather, reaffirmed the commitment to safeguard the freedom of the press, stating that they would not allow their voices to be suppressed.
Lala Asad announced plans for a long march to Islamabad as part of its ongoing fight against oppressive laws. Kuj’s president Tahir Hassan Khan reiterated that journalists’ bodies would not accept what he called a “draconian law.”
