JournalismPakistan.com | Published December 01, 2020
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has rejected the “Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Protection, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules, 2020.”
It said in a statement that the government notified the rules secretly and implemented them through an extraordinary gazette notification. The union termed these as "black regulations."
PFUJ President Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary-General Nasir Zaidi said that the PTI government was bent upon reducing freedom of expression and speech guaranteed under Article 19 of the constitution.
The PFUJ leaders said the journalists would resist such draconian regulations and other laws introduced through ordinances and bypassing the parliament.
They said the new regulations would further curtail freedom of press and speech in the country.
The PFUJ leadership said that the new rules would enhance state surveillance of citizens’ privacy rights and undermine their constitutional right to raise their voice over issues they face freely.
The statement said that the new draconian regulations even criminalize fair criticism of government officials and state policies and have left interpretation of the constitution in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, including officials of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
“Interpretation of law is the sole authority of the judiciary, but the draconian new regulations have taken away that right from the judiciary, and this is totally against the spirit of the constitution,” the statement said.
The PFUJ leaders urged the civil society and stakeholders to take a united stand for countering such regulations and laws aimed at suppressing people’s voices even on social media platforms.
March 20, 2025: The FIA has arrested journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick over his YouTube content, sparking concerns over press freedom. His family and media organizations demand transparency and his immediate release.
March 20, 2025: A Pakistani delegation, including journalists and filmmakers, secretly visited Israel, sparking controversy. The visit, facilitated by Israeli NGO Sharaka, aimed to promote cultural diplomacy. Read more on this developing story.
March 20, 2025: Amnesty International calls for an investigation into the enforced disappearance of journalist Ahmad Noorani’s brothers, condemning it as an attack on press freedom and human rights.
March 19, 2025: Islamabad Police deny raiding journalist Ahmad Noorani’s residence as his family files a complaint about the alleged abduction of his brothers. Noorani, residing in the US, claims his family was targeted due to his reporting.
March 19, 2025: The reported abduction of investigative journalist Ahmed Noorani's brothers marks a disturbing escalation in Pakistan's press freedom crisis, following his exposé on military leadership privileges.
March 16, 2025: Senior analyst Imtiaz Gul joins the growing list of journalists and commentators banned from Pakistani television, raising fresh concerns about declining press freedom in the country.
March 14, 2025: Explore how exiled Pakistani journalists are leveraging digital platforms to deliver independent analysis and fill critical information gaps that state-controlled media leaves behind, transforming the country's media landscape from abroad.
March 07, 2025: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has questioned the delay in the Arshad Sharif murder investigation, as the government seeks additional time to finalize a mutual legal assistance agreement with Kenya.
March 19, 2025 Apply for the NYU Stern Climate Economics Journalism Fellowship to deepen your understanding of climate economics and its impact on global finance. Applications close on April 20, 2025.
March 16, 2025 The Trump administration has ordered furloughs at U.S.-funded broadcasters, including Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia, raising concerns about press freedom and government control over media funding.
March 15, 2025 Explore the dynamic relationship between athletes and sports journalists, examining the challenges, ethical dilemmas, and mutual benefits that shape the sports media landscape.
March 14, 2025 The National Press Foundation is offering a fully funded journalism training workshop in Singapore from June 22 to 25. The workshop will cover sustainable global trade, investment, politics, and more. Apply by April 6.
March 14, 2025 The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urges Maharashtra authorities to ensure their AI-driven media monitoring plan does not undermine press freedom. The initiative, which classifies news as positive or negative, raises concerns over government overreach and self-censorship.