Mr Bennett-Jones said Pakistani journalists are a robust community and have refused to bow down in the most difficult of times.<\/p>\n

Ms Lamb said there were many who did not want to believe facts, but the job of a journalist should always be to bring facts to the forefront no matter how inconvenient they were for others. Journalists are squeezed financially and in many other ways, including threats and intimidation.<\/p>\n

Speaking about the business model of media organisations, she said so far no one knew how to make money through the digital model. Paywalls were a huge challenge because readers were limited. \u201cBut, in today\u2019s world, good journalism is expensive, and facts are important,\u201d she said, adding that the\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0had risen to the challenge in this context.<\/p>\n

Mr Mir condemned the denial of entry to Mr Butler and criticised the way JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman\u2019s press conference was banned on TV. He claimed a day earlier, Pemra officials were interrogated over this censorship and at first they denied issuing any instructions, but when probed further, they \u201capologised\u201d for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose behind restricting freedom of speech are the same people who did not let Mr Butler enter Pakistan. Frankly, it has only embarrassed Pakistan in the world. First, Zardari was banned from being aired because he was under trial; then Maryam Nawaz because she was convicted. Now, for Fazlur Rehman, no reason has been given,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Mr Almeida said democracy was one of the most basic rights. \u201cIf you\u2019re talking about media freedom and fundamental rights, it\u2019s the courts that have to protect the people and enforce those rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also spoke about the treason case he faced in the Lahore High Court, saying it was surprising that he found out about his arrest warrants and placement of his name on ECL through someone\u2019s message without even receiving a court notice. \u201cWithout the courts acting as buffers, guardians, protectors of fundamental rights, it might not be possible for private, small organisations to withstand onslaught of state.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first day of the conference drew hundreds of people and several eminent personalities travelled to the city to be part of a variety of panels. It was inaugurated after Asma Jahangir\u2019s daughter and lawyer, Sulema Jahangir, made an official statement on behalf of their law firm, AGHS, about the expulsion of CPJ\u2019s Steve Butler. \u201cIt is against the hospitality of Pakistan. Journalists must be free to practice their profession,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She recounted her mother\u2019s journey from 1983 for demanding women\u2019s rights and how she along with a group of lawyers organised themselves and wrote bail petitions for poor female prisoners.<\/p>\n

Ahsan Bhoon, a Pakistan Bar Council member, spoke on international challenges to human rights, including refugees in Syria and Palestine. Bangladeshi Judge Khatun Sapnara spoke about access to justice and how academics, activists and experts must come together to redefine parameters of law to give practical support to children and women.<\/p>\n

Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Syed Amjad Shah spoke about grave challenges facing the judiciary and serious questions raised from the accountability process. He remembered Asma Jahangir and her clear-minded presence.<\/p>\n

Others who spoke at the inaugural session included EU Ambassador Androulla Kaminara,<\/p>\n

Netherlands Human Rights Ambassador Dr Bahia Tahzib-Lie, Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws and Justice Mamoon Rashid.<\/p>\n

Supreme Court\u2019s Justice Gulzar Ahmed reminisced about Asma Jahangir and said she was honoured with doctorates from several universities, adding that he believed her legacy would live on.<\/p>\n

Senator Musadik Malik held the audience with his speech in a session on \u2018Upholding the Rule of Law\u2019. The session was about equity, access to and protection by law and began with Justice Qazi Faez Isa reading out a history of the power corridors in Pakistan with special focus on dictatorship. \u201cWhy did no movement ever stick despite several people taking the fall?\u201d questioned Senator Malik. \u201cIt is because the only principle that binds our society is that of opportunism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Balochistan Bar Council President Manzoor Ahmed Shahwani said articles 8 to 28 were about fundamental rights, but were not freely given by the state and had to be fought for. \u201cThose who say they got power through democratic means are lying,\u201d he said. \u201cDespite other institutions being weak, our political parties have deeply disappointed us.\u201d<\/p>\n

MNA Maleeka Bokhari of the PTI said the main reason for the party\u2019s 100-day agenda was to see how many laws they could enact. And all their laws were for the people, she claimed, including women\u2019s property rights, inheritance rights, Zainab Bill, gender-based violence courts etc. She said the PTI campaign was based on rule of law.<\/p>\n

Advocate Salman Akram Raja also spoke about constitutional values, while Mr I.A. Rehman said there were too many obstacles to first overcome in order to establish enforcement of law.<\/p>\n

Dawn<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n