JournalismPakistan.com
July 06, 2019

ISLAMABAD—The Federal Executive Council (FEC) of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has taken serious notice of the malicious and targeted social media campaign against some top Pakistani journalists by unknown quarters and demanded that the government take action against the perpetrators.

In a resolution passed at its meeting in Islamabad, the FEC called upon the government, state institutions, and the judiciary to take immediate and urgent notice of the campaign launched based on religious hate, and concocted and fabricated allegations against journalists which are a direct threat to the lives of journalists and their families.

The council urged the government to direct the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime wing and other agencies to investigate and arrest those who launched the campaign in the name of countering hybrid war to gag, control and downplay media and put working journalists and media workers under pressure.

It said that direct death threats to journalists and some top anchors by posting their images with a hashtag calling for their arrest was a matter of grave concern. 

The FEC resolved to fight for the rights of journalists and safeguard them and their families.

The council expressed concern over the deteriorating state of media freedom.

FEC was of the view that such a campaign was harming and tarnishing Pakistan’s image abroad at a time when Pakistan needs to promote its soft image, which is only possible through free media.

The FEC contended that even the hybrid war could only be countered through a free media, and not by creating fake IDs on social media, and threatening journalists.

The resolution said that PFUJ and the journalist community would deal with the situation effectively using all means for their safety and security.