KARACHI:
According to the universal declaration of human rights, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. However, in Pakistan, we have witnessed time and again that the media has been suppressed for airing news and content that is believed to violate specific bodies or agencies. More recently, the cabinet has approved a draft of social media rules titled ‘Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Content Rules 2021’. The definition of the ‘security of Pakistan’ is the same as in Article 260. However, it is still unclear what speech related to the security of Pakistan on social media is going to be censored under these rules. This is yet another attempt to stifle freedom of opinion and expression.
In 2002, then President Pervez Musharraf introduced laws that modified the media’s role and granted more freedom. This was considerable progress given the history of restrictions. In 2010, the PPP government also amended the Constitution by introducing Article 19-A that provides the right to access information. Many commissions and tribunals have been established to ensure access to information and the right to discuss information. It is ironic that despite having laws of freedom of speech and the right to access information, many governments restrained people and media to report freely. Merely written laws cannot change much, there needs to be a widespread implementation.
What we urgently need is the right to freedom of speech through legislation with the consultation of the opposition and the government to legislate defamation laws to protect the respect and dignity of individuals and groups. Freedom of expression is often considered to be a myth in Pakistan. The introduction of laws easing restrictions on mass media will help alleviate that image.
Raja Yousaf Mehmood
Attock
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2021.
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