ISLAMABAD: The representatives of mainstream political parties on Thursday vowed that draft of the bill would be prepared and get passed in the Parliament to provide complete security and protection to the journalists and their family members.

Addressing the meeting of executive council of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) held at National Press Club, they said the journalists associations should provide their suggestions and proposals that would help prepare comprehensive draft for the legislation.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said the journalists can themselves rightly point out dangers because they work in the field and directly face all those segments posing threats to their lives.

“The state has the responsibility to provide protection to every citizen and the journalists who work day and night and face threats and dangers be provided proper security. Now we feel that new legislation is necessary to extend full security to journalists and their family members and we would put in our best efforts in this respect,” he said.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq said his party has already tabled a bill in National Assembly to provide security to the journalists and if other political parties also take initiatives then they would extend their full cooperation in this respect.

He said: “Our Constitution envisages the right to freedom of expression and the media is serving the country in a befitting manner so it is necessary to provide protection to those people who face threats to bring out truth before the people.”

Minister for Commerce Engr Khurram Dastgir Khan said the government realises and acknowledges the sacrifices of the media persons and would fully support the legislation for their security and protection.

He said democracy and independent media always go together and if there is any threat to media then it is responsibility of the state to thwart them and provide a congenial working environment to the media persons.

Leading anchorperson Hamid Mir said Threats are hurled on the journalists especially on those working in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Balochistan so international laws should be applied in these areas to ensure their protection in the face of these threats.

He said, “Hayatullah Khan was killed but the commission constituted to probe this tragic incident has so far not presented its report. So the journalist associations should speed up their efforts to win their rights amid highly uncongenial environment.

PFUJ President Afzal Butt said the journalist community has always rendered sacrifices but never ever made any compromise over freedom of expression but unfortunately the previous governments most of the time made only lip service and did nothing for their protection.

“The journalists face dangers and even sacrifice their lives but there is no one to arrest those elements who pose threats and kill them. We hope that the political parties would come up with an effective legislation and ensure protection of the journalists working anywhere in the country”, he said.

Others who also spoke on the occasion included anchorpersons Saleem Safi, Asma Sherazi, Javed Chaudhry, Matiullah Jan and representatives of the journalist associations who demanded of the government to carry out legislation for protection of the journalists.

The News

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Pervaiz Rashid said on Wednesday the government was committed to the freedom of expression and was taking steps to ensure that the media persons could perform duty in a safe and secure environment.

Addressing a meeting of Steering Committee of Pakistan Coalition on Media Safety (PCOMS) here as chief guest, the Minister said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had unflinching commitment for freedom of press and had assured the Committee to Protect Journalists that provision of safe working environment to journalists was top priority of the government.

He said time had proved that free media was a prerequisite for democracy and for individual liberties.

Had there been a free media in 1999, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership might not have faced imprisonment and exile, he remarked.

Pervaiz Rashid said like the media persons, the entire society was feeling insecurity. Even schoolgoing children and their schools were not safe, worship places and worshippers were not safe, traders, industrialists and men on the street were not safe.

“We will have to see the problem in its totality and take steps for improvement of law and order situation as a whole,” said the Minister.

He said the menace of terrorism had been affecting the society for the last 10 to 12 years, but none of the previous governments took any steps to rectify the situation.

“The people of Pakistan have given the PML-N the mandate to resolve the problems, including power crisis and economic situation. The government will also take measures to rid the country of the menace of terrorism,” he added.

He said all the political parties and civil society were on one page as far as the issue of eradicating terrorism was concerned. It was a fact that the writ of the state had weakened during last decade or so and institutions needed for statecraft had weakened, if became not ineffective.

Pervaiz said reconstruction of state organs was need of the hour. As per social contract, the state was responsible to provide security to the masses, he added

He said it was heartening to note that the entire society was fully cooperating with the government in its efforts to restore the writ of the state.

He said the Prime Minister took personal interest in the Wali Babar murder case for shifting its hearing from Karachi to Sukker and this step proved to be fruitful.

The Prime Minister had assured that the journalists killing cases would be transferred to anti-terrorist courts and the government would appoint prosecutors for their quick disposal, he added.

Business Recorder

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced on Wednesday the setting up of a media commission for safety and security of journalists in Pakistan.

“This commission will propose measures to be adopted by the government to protect journalists in the field and to ensure their well being,” an official statement quoting the PM as saying during his meeting with head of the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) which further added “this would be a commission comprising of media persons, public figures and government members.”

“I want to make Pakistan a journalist friendly country where not only national but international media community should feel safe, secure and respected” Premier Sharif said.

Sharif said that this commission will also suggest ways and means to effectively monitor the prosecution of crimes against journalists.

CPJ official Mrs. Kati Marton, the widow of late US Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, appreciated the government’s resolve towards strengthening democratic institutions.

She appreciated the prime minister’s role in pursuing Wali Khan Babar’s case which resulted in the conviction of his killers and a strong message for the international community about the state of rule of law in Pakistan .

DAWN