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ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC)-Federal Chapter on Tuesday gave one month’s time to activate the Federal and Sindh Commissions on Protection of Journalists.
It warned that failure to meet the deadline would result in a “white paper” to highlight the continuing lack of justice and accountability for crimes against journalists. It has been almost three years since the Federal Law on Protection of Journalists was passed by the National Assembly. “However, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government has failed to complete the process of notifying the Commission (under the law) to deal with impunity for crimes against journalists,” PJSC Federal Chapter President Hamid Mir said on Tuesday. said in a meeting.
The meeting discussed the high degree of impunity despite strong support and commitment from all stakeholders.
The PJSC expressed concern over the slow progress in the notification of the Federal Commission and the delay in the nomination of a new Chairperson for the Sindh Commission for the Protection of Journalists and other Media Practitioners following the resignation of the current Chairperson three months ago.
“Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the keynote speaker at the PJSC meeting in December 2022, where he publicly announced that a federal commission would be set up soon. It has been two years since that announcement, and still There is no commission,” lamented Hamid Mir.
Sindh Commission member Jabbar Khattak told the meeting that the Sindh government has not yet notified the new chairman.
He said that Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon assured me this morning that the provincial cabinet will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) to approve the nomination of the new chairperson.
Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak said there is silence on the federal government’s commitment to tackle impunity for crimes against journalists. “Islamabad is the second most dangerous city for journalists after Sindh province, where a significant number of threats have been reported in the past year,” he said.
The meeting also expressed concern over the withdrawal of the Freedom Network team from Dera Ghazi Khan, where they had planned to meet with local journalists to discuss security challenges. He further criticized the continued closure of the DG Khan Press Club despite a court order to reopen it.
Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, said the establishment of a federal commission was being kept “in cold storage” despite initial government support. He said that mere demands will not be enough. “Pressure must be put on the government to make it fulfill its obligations.”
Senator Farhatullah Babar criticized the government for playing the ‘victim card’. He remarked, “Instead of viewing journalists as victims, the government is portraying itself as one. The oppression and suppression of digital spaces is a new dimension of the threats journalists face.”
The PJSC reiterated its demand for a judicial commission to probe the murder of investigative journalist Arshad Sharif and a probe into the filing of a “fake” FIR against broadcast journalist Matiullah Jan. He held the Islamabad police chief and SHO responsible for registering the infamous FIR
Rehan Ahmed of Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND), Council Member of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Sadia Bukhari, Secretary of National Press Club Nayar Ali, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) were present in the meeting. ) participated. President Tariq Wark, National Commission of Human Rights Representative Shazal Malik, Journalists Asma Shirazi and Moira Imran Women Journalists Association of Pakistan (WJAP).
The PJSC serves as an important platform to address the fundamental challenge of impunity for crimes against journalists. Established in response to growing threats, censorship, and a culture of impunity, the Coalition unites stakeholders from civil society, media organizations, government agencies, and legal experts. Its efforts are aimed at strengthening the institutional framework, advocating for legal protections and promoting accountability to ensure a safe and supportive environment for journalists in Pakistan.
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