KUJ to launch movement against PMDA

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 4 September 2021

The KUJ is mobilizing against the PMDA to protect press freedom and seek public support for their cause. They argue that the PMDA threatens media independence.
Summary

KARACHI —The Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) has decided to launch a full-fledged movement against the government's efforts to set up the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA).

According to a press statement, the support of political and religious parties, social and labor organizations, and civil society will also be sought in this regard.

In a meeting of KUJ, presided by its acting President Javed Qureshi, the draft of PMDA was discussed in detail.

General Secretary Fahim Siddiqui informed the meeting that the draft was received in May, which was translated into Urdu and made public for the journalist community so that all working journalists would be aware of the implications of the law.

However, there are reports that the government has made some amendments to it, and the amended draft is being kept secret, as noted during the KUJ meeting.

The meeting was informed that the government wants to control all types of media through this law. This is not a media development but an attempt to create a media-controlling authority to curb criticism of the government and its institutions.

The KUJ also rejected the statements of government officials, which said that through this law, working journalists would be able to file cases against media owners.

The meeting called the PMDA an attack on press freedom and urged the government to refrain from such an attempt.

It was decided during the meeting that the Karachi Union of Journalists would contact people from all walks of life to seek their support to oppose the PMDA. "The KUJ is ready to come on roads for recording protest, in case the government succeeds in approving the bill," the KUJ concluded.

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