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Journalists in Pakistan to protest against law curbing press freedom in Punjab
As per a statement from PFUJ, all unions of journalists will organise rallies and hoist black flags at press clubs to protest against the bill described as a "brutal" piece of law, local media reported.
Journalists in Pakistan have given a call for countrywide protest on Monday against the passage of the controversial Provincial Assembly Privileges (Amendment) Bill, 2021 by the Punjab Assembly. The call has been given by Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), which claims that the bill has provisions that target press freedom in the Punjab region.
The PFUJ is an umbrella organisation of all journalist unions in the country.
As per a statement from PFUJ, all unions of journalists will organise rallies and hoist black flags at press clubs to protest against the bill described as a "brutal" piece of law, local media reported. The unions have also announced a rally outside the governor house in the Punjab.
They are demanding the government a rollback of the bill. They have also called upon provincial government (in Balochistan) to take steps against the "undemocratic action".
As per local media reports, the amendment bill has a provision of three-month imprisonment or a fine of ₹10,000, or both, for publishing any report on the proceedings or a report of a committee before it was reported to the assembly. While the journalists say that the bill would undermine the freedom of the press, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government as well as opposition parties supports it.
The journalists say that the bill is "fascist tactics" employed by the Balochistan provincial government to prevent the media from covering a press conference of opposition leaders in the city, as per local media reports. "Sledgehammer tactics against the journalists would not be tolerated at any cost," said PFUJ president Shahzada Zulfiqar and secretary-general Nasir Zaidi in a statement.
