ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has\nchalked out a wide ranging plan to observe Press Freedom day today (3rd of May)\nand will arrange protest rallies across the country as the media and press\nfreedom in the country is deteriorating continuously and apart from media\nfreedom, freedom of speech and expression guaranteed in the Constitution of\nPakistan is severely compromised, says a press release issued here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The PFUJ in collaboration with Rawalpindi and Islamabad\nUnion of Journalist (RIUJ) will arrange protest rally in front of the\nParliament House to press its six point demands forwarded to Government of\nPakistan for the restoration of media and press freedom in the country. Apart\nfrom rally in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, all the other unions of journalists\nwill also hold protest rallies across the country, in support of six point\ndemands and restoration of media and press freedom in the country which is\npassing through worst time in history of Pakistan. The day will herald the\nbegging of second phase of \u2018Sahafi Bachao [save journalists] Movement\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demands on the press freedom day include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1- Withdrawal of announced and unannounced ban and press\nadvices placed on media. 2- Immediate Restoration of retrenched journalists and\npayment\/ clearance of dues pending with government and media houses. 3- Law for\nservices structure in TV channels. 4- Abolition of all the laws and regulations\ndevised and designed to erode and compromise Media and Press freedom. 5-\nRestoration of 25% fixed quota for regional newspapers and abolition of\ncentralised policy. 6- Immediate implementation of wage board award and 7-\nRelief package for media workers effected by COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the above demands, the PFUJ also stressed the\ngovernment to immediately release Jang and Geo Group Editor-in Chief Mir\nShakil-ur-Rahman whose detention in a 34 years old property case is apparently\nan attempt to gag and control mainstream media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently media in Pakistan is under serious threats and\nfacing worst financial crisis that was created to suppress media and voices of\ndissent in the country. Even some religious elements have been launched to\ndemean and defame media as whole and discredit journalist community\nspecifically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the leader ship of PFUJ under its President\nShehzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi is committed to fighting on\nall fronts for safeguarding media and press freedom which is hallmark of\njournalist community in entire world including Pakistan. In the fight against\ncorruption and ensuring good governance and transparency, only free, fair and\nbalanced media can ensure all such objectives for bringing respect for Pakistan\nin comity of nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCurrently due to highhandedness and arm twisting tactics\nPakistan is losing credibility across the world due to deteriorating media\nfreedom in the country and further saw decline on media freedom index globally\u201d\nthe PFUJ reminded. \u201cThe glaring example of arm twisting is detention of Jang\/\nGeo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman by the National Accountability\nBureau in a 34 years old property case,\u201d the PFUJ statement read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Press Freedom Day, the PFUJ has shown concern on\ndeteriorating media freedom and direct life threats to journalists and some top\nanchors, just to malign them into controversies by using dirty tricks and\nsocial media by posting image and photographs of female family members with\nabusive and threatening hashtags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuch a campaign was harming and tarnishing the image of\ncountry around the globe at a time when Pakistan needs to promote its soft\nimage, which is only possible through free media and working journalist and\nmedia workers; therefore, the State should take appropriate measures to ensure\nmedia freedom, freedom of expression and speech in the country guaranteed by\nthe Constitution of Pakistan,\u201d the PFUJ demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The largest forum of journalists in the country also demanded\nto take immediate and appropriate measures for the protection of lives of\njournalists from deadly coronavirus which infecting and impacting journalist\ncommunity due to the criminal negligence of owners of the media houses and\ngovernment machinery which failed in implementation of SOPs and guidelines\nissued by the federal and provincial governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The PFUJ has urged the journalist community to come out on\nthe streets today in large numbers \u2013 observing prescribed safety measure of\nsocial distancing and wearing gloves and masks — in support of their demands\nand for the resolution of issues confronted by the media in Pakistan. Rallies\nacross Pakistan will be culminated after Iftar and Maghrib prayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)\u2019s \u201cReport on\nMedia Safety and Press Freedom in 2019-2020\u201d released to commemorate the World\nPress Freedom Day on May 3 (today), has detailed the alarming situation\nsurrounding COVID-19 created for the Pakistani media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, the media in Pakistan, is operating under a new\nand challenging environment created by the spread of COVID-19. Since the spread\nof the pandemic in the country, two journalists have died and at least 38 media\nworkers have tested positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report says that between January 2019 and April 2020,\njournalists in Pakistan worked under increasing restrictions with little\naccountability of those who limit freedom of expression, continue to target\njournalists and aim to discredit the work of the media through a range of tools\nfrom attacking journalists to placing financial constraints on media outlets as\na pressure tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have also been at least five arrests of journalists.\nThe most high-profile case of a media personnel arrested is the arrest of the\nJang and Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on March 12,\n2020. Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau\n(NAB) irregularities in the purchase of his residential property 34 years\nearlier, however, it raised concerns about press freedom and appeared to be an\nattempt to pressurise the largest media group in the country. Despite numerous\nlocal and international calls for his release, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman remains\nbehind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the report most media organisations as well as\nthe government have not ensured the effective implementation of safety\nprotocols nor the timely provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to\nmedia workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key recommendation of the report is calling on Pakistan\u2019s\nmedia associations, including the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), The\nAll Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Society\n(CPNE), to develop detailed workable guidelines for all media workers on how to\ncover the coronavirus safely and to monitor their implementation by their\nmember organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The PPF has also urged the government to provide support to\nthe media in ensuring the safety of media workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the protection of media workers, the\ncoronavirus has also created new challenges for the media on how to cover the\npandemic, ensuring accurate information as fake news is circulated on social\nmedia platforms, making sense of data on the virus and government rhetoric that\nundermines media coverage as well as the financial setback created by the\nvirus, which has send much of the world in some form of lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report also recommends that all levels of government\nrecognise the need for free flow of information during this time, respect the\nright to freedom of expression and to release all journalists who have been\narrested for their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report also discusses factors surrounding press freedom\nand the safety of journalists in Pakistan during 2019-20 that has seen an\nincreased muzzling of the freedom of expression in a country that has an\nalready weak track record on press freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journalists have come under fire for their work in various\narenas and have faced physical assault, including in two instances deaths of\njournalists due to their work. In at least one instance this year, a journalist\nwas briefly abducted and harassed. In another instance, the house of a\njournalist was raided and a publishing house printing one of renowned writer\u2019s\nbooks in Urdu was raided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to physical acts of violence and intimidation,\njournalists have faced threats, both in person and online. This already\nhigh-risk environment which journalists operate under has been further made\ndifficult by the policies and rhetoric of the government, which in 2019 likened\ncritical media coverage to treason. While the government dismissed curbs on\npress freedom in Pakistan as a \u201cjoke\u201d, the policies and proposals of the\ngovernment including media courts and social media regulations, indicate a\ncontrol over the autonomy of the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority\n(Pemra) has on numerous instances provided \u201cadvice\u201d to the media which creates\ncontrols on what the media can cover and what could be unacceptable. During\nthis time period, on numerous occasions, television channels or shows have been\nremoved from air during interviews with opposition politicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between January 2019 and April 2020, there have been\nproposals to regulate social media content. This led to various social media\ncompanies threatening to leave Pakistan and creating a grim picture for the\nopportunity for free expression online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An environment where journalists are the target of\ngovernment and other officials\u2019 scorn and are often threatened for their work \u2014\nboth verbally and physically \u2014 creates a bleak picture for press freedom and\nthe safety of journalists in Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newspaper: The\nNews<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has chalked out a wide ranging plan to observe Press Freedom day today (3rd of May) and will arrange protest rallies across the country as the media and press freedom in the country is deteriorating continuously and apart from media freedom, freedom of speech and expression guaranteed in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[4],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8953"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8953\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanfoemonitor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}