PFUJ calls for end to Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 4 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
Pakistani media stakeholders are calling on the Pakistan government to withdraw a proposed Pakistan Media Regularity Authority (PMDA) ordinance that they say will stop the flow of information in the country and restrict free, independent, and responsible media.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) call on the Pakistani government to immediately withdraw the proposed ordinance.
The ordinance, which was proposed in late May 2021 seeks to amalgamate all media regulatory structures in Pakistan to create one converged regulatory body.
Pakistani and international media stakeholders strongly opposed the proposed government move and instigated a coordinated response to the government. Among those, the International Press Institute (IPI) sent a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan outlining their great concern on the proposed new regulations, claiming that they “will go against the democratic norms that Pakistan should uphold as a democracy.” It also cautioned the danger of installing a new authority that had power to shut down any media entity without prior notice, without the capacity to be challenged in any court of law.
However, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Farrukh Habib, continued to defend the move, claiming that the reformed regulatory structure would ensure job security for journalists and would protect freedom of press in the country—a stance strongly disputed by media campaigners.
According to the IFJ’s South Asia Press Freedom Report 2020-2021, Pakistan suffered under the harshest clampdown on dissent by any government during 2020 and 2021. The IFJ said media rights and freedom of expression took a severe beating, with the government leaping at the opportunity of the COVID-19 pandemic to deprive the media of both freedom and funds, driving an already beleaguered media industry into deeper crisis.
The PFUJ secretary said: “This draft is against the freedom of the media ensured in the Constitution of Pakistan and against the freedom of speech and expression ensured in the UN charter.”
The IFJ said: “The proposed ordinance would be tantamount to depriving Pakistan of the media freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan that have been so hard fought for and defended by journalists and unions. The IFJ urges the Pakistani government to ensure freedom of expression in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan and its international commitments and obligations.” - IFJ media release/Photo: AFP
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.
October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.
October 30, 2025: The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistan’s worsening media crisis and financial instability.
November 02, 2025 Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.
November 01, 2025 Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for extremism and defaming the president, highlighting Minsk’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom.
November 01, 2025 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran was found murdered in Durango. CPJ urges authorities to ensure justice amid rising violence against journalists in Mexico.
November 01, 2025 UNESCO survey finds one-third of media lawyers cannot effectively defend journalists due to threats, limited resources, and lack of specialization.
October 31, 2025 Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded broadcaster covering tightly controlled Asian media environments, has suspended all news operations after federal funding dried up.