Karachi: The Federal Union of Journalists of Pakistan (PFUJ) rejected on Sunday the recently approved controversial amendments to the Law on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PECA), qualifying it as a threat to an independent medium, freedom of expression, the right of people and democracy and democracy.
The PFUJ position was produced at the end of its three -day Biannual Delegates (BDM) in Islamabad, where it approved several resolutions that address the draconian law, concerns about the safety of journalists and the reduction of media workers.
The meeting condemned the authorities for using government ads as a tool to pressurize media houses.
The PFUJ described the very controversial law as the worst martial law for the media in Pakistan, which seriously threatened not only freedom of the press, freedom of expressions, the right of people namely, but also democracy, said A statement, referring to the draft resolutions approved at the meeting.
Condemns Govt for using ads as a tool to pressurize media houses like Dawn
“The PFUJ demands an immediate withdrawal of the controversial PCA law, which believes that it was approved by the current government of the coalition led by PML-N and declared it as a martial law for the media. The PFUJ resolved that it would occupy all these problems at a meeting of the joint action committee of the media parts to draw a line of action. “
The resolution rejected the government statement that the law was presented only to stop the threat of “false news” and misinformation, saying that the fact is that in the last eight years this law had only been addressed to critical and dissident voices .
“The worst part is that Peca is the continuation of black laws such as the Press and Publication Ordinance, 1963 and the Electronic Media Authority of Pakistan, Pemra, 2001,” he added.
Dawn directed
One of Pfuj’s resolutions also condemned the government’s movement to stop Daily’s ads Sunrise“Due to its professional and critical approach in reports and editorials.”
The PFUJ also linked the relations between government media with the protection and safety of journalists. He said that journalists had not only been killed in record numbers last year, but have also reserved under the anti -terrorism law, Blasphymia Law and drug positions.
“The classic example is that of the case against Matiullah Jan in Islamabad, just because of his criticisms of the government,” he said.
Even during the current controversies about Peca, Pfuj and other stakeholders in the media they asked the government to share the draft, but it seems that some ‘hidden hands’ prevented the government from sharing said draft and approved the law, he said.
Through another resolution, the PFUJ expressed a deep concern for government failures to take measures to guarantee the security and protection of journalists. Since 2024, he said, 10 journalists had been killed, but the police could not stop the assailants.
“The case of Jan Mohammad Mehr is a classic example in which the intellectual author managed to escape the arrest, although the police knew exactly where he was hiding,” he said.
The PFUJ also condemned a recent movement of the Baluchistan government to block the Quetta Press Club and avoid organizing a program despite having previous permission.
Pfuj elections
Meanwhile, Pfuj’s elections were held for the years 2025-27.
The BDM unanimously chose the president of Afzal Butt over the next two years. Arshad Ansari de Lahore was unanimously chosen, the general secretary of Pfuj and Lala Asad Pathan of the Union of Journalists Sukkur became secretary of Finance.
Posted in Dawn, February 24, 2025
