Call for press freedom in run-up to polls

16 media organisations urge political parties to ‘commit to concrete measures’

ISLAMABAD:

As the situation of journalists in Pakistan worsens in the run-up to the general elections, 16 media organisations on Tuesday launched a crucial appeal to the key mainstream and regional political parties involved in the election campaign to commit to concrete measures in favour of press freedom.

As Pakistan is about to hold general elections and political parties draft new election manifestos to offer voters a package they would like support for as they go to the polls, the country’s leading press clubs, national and provincial unions of journalists, Paris-based global media watchdog organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and RSF’s Pakistan partner Freedom Network call on mainstream and provincial heads of contesting parties to pen their commitment to defending freedom of expression and protection of journalists in their party manifestos.

“Impunity for crimes against journalists and media is very high in Pakistan, which was among the five countries included in a pilot project of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

“RSF’s Pakistan partner Freedom Network’s Annual Impunity 2022 Report stated that there were “no convictions in 96% of journalist killings in the past 10 years,” the joint letter said, according to a statement issued by the RSF Pakistan representative.

It said: “Such a high percentage of impunity for crimes against media practitioners and assistants is alarming and puts journalists in extreme danger for practicing journalism, thus, denying citizens of Pakistan their right to know and access information – the two fundamental rights enshrined in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, guaranteed by articles 19 and 19A.”

The letter stated: “In the run-up to elections, the ball is now in the court of the political parties as regards defending press freedom, as well as journalistic independence and pluralism, as fundamental guarantees of a functioning democracy. Pakistan’s press clubs along with journalists unions, press freedom organisations and editors body for electronic media, call on the leaders of the main political parties to make a concrete commitment to our proposals, starting with the search for legislative guarentees for the protection of journalists and the fight against impunity for crimes of violence against them.”

The PPP, PML-N, PTI, JUI-F, JI, ANP, MQM-P, PkMAP, BAP, BNP-M, QWP, PML-Q, Hazara Democratic Party and NP were delivered the joint letter.