JournalismPakistan.com | Published December 27, 2016
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD - The 20,000-strong community of working journalists in Pakistan Tuesday demanded of the federal and provincial governments to expedite the enactment of special safety laws to provide a legal framework to fight impunity against journalists in the country.
They also demanded that a draft bill on journalists’ protection produced by the federal government be presented before the working journalists at the earliest for their detailed inputs before being tabled in the National Assembly for enactment.
The demand was made at a seminar at the National Press Club through a unanimous declaration after a thorough discussion on the high level of impunity that attackers of journalists and media in Pakistan enjoy.
The seminar was conducted by National Press Club in collaboration with Pakistani media rights organization Freedom Network with technical assistance of the International Media Support (IMS).
The seminar was attended by a wide spectrum of journalists’ bodies, including the chairman of the ad hoc committee of unification of journalists unions, presidents, secretaries general and managers of the Pakistan Press Clubs Journalists’ Safety Hub Network, including National Press Club, Karachi Press Club, Peshawar Press Club, Quetta Press Club and Dera Ismail Khan Press Club. A large number of working journalists from all over the country were also present, including representatives of women journalists.
The declaration adopted by the participants at the end of the consultation said: “We the journalists of Pakistan, including from all four provinces and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), demand that the federal government should expedite the tabling of a comprehensive legislative bill on journalists’ physical & employment safety. However, we demand that being the principal intended beneficiary of the proposed bill, the working journalists’ community be consulted before tabling the bill in the National Assembly. We also demand that besides a federal law, there should also be provincial bills on journalists’ safety and protection, including safety and protection of women journalists. Both the federal and provincial laws on journalists’ safety should reflect the guidelines of the UN Action Plan on Impunity against Journalists and Issues of Safety as well as global best practices.”
Speaking at the seminar the National Press Club President Shakeel Anjum said that the draft bill on journalists’ safety produced by the Pakistan Muslim League-N government should be urgently shared with working journalists for their inputs without which the law will not find support and remain unrepresentative. He regretted that the government has been dragging its feet first on drafting the bill and now on sharing it with principal stakeholders.
Riaz Ahmed, the chairman of the ad hoc committee on unification of journalists unions said that it is incomprehensible why the government, despite promises, is not sharing the draft bill with the journalists. He urged unification in the ranks of journalists to ensure that their interests were not compromised. He emphasized that the bill also needs to consider economic security for journalists.
Speaking on the occasion, journalists and media rights activist Adnan Rehmat said that the government deserves credit for first accepting that the journalists of Pakistan get a raw deal and face many threats and obstacles in performing their duties and then going ahead and drafting a law on journalists’ safety as demanded by them. However, he urged that justice delayed is justice denied and the bill should be made public at the earliest so that journalists and media workers can provide inputs. He also urged that on the pattern of the Right to Information laws in the provinces, the four provinces should also enact their own laws on safety of journalists.
Rehmat urged political parties and legislatures at both the federal and provincial levels to protect the interests of journalists emphasizing that if journalists are unsafe and endangered then media cannot be free in which case democracy will remain threatened in Pakistan. He also provided an overview of the UN Action Plan on Impunity against Journalists’ and Issues of Safety.
Others who spoke on the occasion included senior representatives from press clubs all over the country including Shahzada Zulfikar, Saeed Ahmad, Ghulam Mustafa, Ali Shah, Gohar Ali, Fazlur Rehman, Myra Imran and others. - NPC media release
June 11, 2025: Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.
June 11, 2025: Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.
May 31, 2025: Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.
May 26, 2025: In Rawalpindi, police allegedly side with Jang Group to block 66 reinstated employees from resuming work despite court orders, drawing sharp criticism from unions and press freedom advocates.
May 25, 2025: PFUJ condemns the Jang Group's decision to dismiss over 80 employees in Rawalpindi, calling it an 'economic massacre.' The union warns of nationwide protests if workers are not reinstated.
May 25, 2025: Daily Jang Rawalpindi has terminated over 80 employees, including female staff, despite multiple court rulings in their favor—raising concerns over labor rights violations and misuse of authority in Pakistani media.
May 19, 2025 PJS reports 219 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, with 30 women among the victims. Over 430 were injured and 685 family members were killed. Read more on the systematic targeting of media in Gaza.
May 15, 2025 Discover the legacy of Samiullah Khan, Pakistan’s legendary "Flying Horse," whose breathtaking speed and artistry redefined hockey. From Olympic glory to World Cup triumphs, his story is one of myth, movement, and magic.
May 04, 2025 Algerian authorities suspend Echorouk News TV for 10 days after it used a racist slur against African migrants. ANIRA demands an apology, calling it a violation of human dignity.
May 04, 2025 NCHR and MMfD launch a journalism fellowship to train reporters on digital rights & gender inclusion in Pakistan. Supported by UNESCO, this initiative aims to bridge the gender digital divide. Apply by May 15, 2025!
April 23, 2025 Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.