PTI government blows its horn

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 2 December 2021

The PTI government has advertised a new law aimed at protecting journalists in Pakistan, emphasizing press freedom. However, critics, including Reporters Without Borders, have raised concerns about vague provisions that threaten this protection.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—A day after President Arif Alvi signed the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill into an act, the PTI government placed ads in the newspapers presenting the law as its contribution to press freedom in Pakistan.

On the back pages of major newspapers, the advertisement says that when the journalist is protected, journalism is free. With the slogan, the ad highlights the main points of the law, which the Ministry of Human Rights has prepared.

The law's main features include protecting the lives of journalists, saving them from harassment and torture, and ensuring their welfare by giving facilities of life and health insurance.

However, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is not happy with the law. It has condemned including an extremely vague section on conduct "obligations" in the law under Section 6.

"Section 6 of this law neutralises virtually all the protection that it was supposed to provide when first announced by the government. This section prohibits all journalists and media professionals from spreading 'false information' and producing material that 'advocates hatred' or constitutes 'incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence' – without clearly defining what any of these terms means," RSF said.

KEY POINTS:

• PTI government promotes new Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill.
• Law includes provisions for journalists' safety, health, and life insurance.
• Critics argue Section 6 undermines protections with vague definitions.
• Reporters Without Borders condemns the ambiguous language in the law.
• The law aims to improve the welfare and freedom of the press in Pakistan.