Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has worked out a comprehensive plan to defend media freedom and challenges confronted in order to protect journalist’s safety and workers’ rights, both through legal course and other means of protest after Ramadan, according to the Islamabad Declaration, released after the conclusion of its three-days biannual delegates meeting (BDM) in Islamabad.
Under the banner of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, all the media persons had fought a gallant battle for the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression in the last 75 years during the military rule as well as under the ‘civilian’ rules and reject all anti-media laws, framed to target critical voices in the name of fake news, misinformation and disinformation like PECA Amendment Act, 2025. It said that Pakistan was passing through one of the most difficult eras where democracy has seriously been under question since the induction of a ‘hybrid system.’
Islamabad Declaration points out policy of ‘carrot and stick’ to ‘control’ media
In current system, it said that the parliament has supremacy and attempts have been made to control the superior judiciary and the media – the two strongest pillars of the state. As per the declaration, both rulers and lawmakers looked like ‘puppets of power’ while the policy of ‘carrot and stick’ was used to ‘control’ the media. This situation has almost brought a few independent media houses on verge of collapse, according to the Islamabad Declaration.
Since its inception, it said that the state has never allowed media to grow and within a few years imposed the Press and Publication Ordinance, 1963 and took control of the Progressive Papers Limited. Today, even Article 19 of the Constitution which guarantees ‘freedom of the press’ needs a serious review as successive governments misused or misinterpreted the term ‘reasonable restrictions’ and imposed ‘unreasonable restrictions.’ Through the Islamabad Declaration, PFUJ resolved to work out a plan for the safety and protection of journalists’ right to know but also its economic rights.
‘Article 19 needs a review as rulers misused or misinterpreted term ‘reasonable restrictions’ and imposed unreasonable restrictions’
Therefore, it not only urged the government to immediately name members of Journalists’ Safety Commission so that it can take up issues of journalists’ safety and cases of those killed in the line of duty. Sindh, by far the only province where such a commission exists but urged the Sindh government to enhance its powers. Such commissions are also needed in other provinces like Punjab, Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. Also, PFUJ expressed its concern over the issue of journalists’ safety in areas like tribal districts of Pakhtunkhwa, as well as Balochistan, interior Sindh, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The trade union said that journalists working in those areas are confronted with far more grave challenges. It said that the journalists have to fight on three fronts with the state or governments, non-state actors, which also target them and also with the media houses, who not only deprived workers legitimate rights under the law of the land but also lose their jobs if they raise their voices for justices. Therefore, there is a need to protect journalists and media workers from both life threats and job threats.
Journalists have to fight on three fronts – state or govts, non-state actors, and media houses
For the last seven decades, successive civilian and military administrations have used ‘government advertisements’ as a ‘tool’ or bribe to promote their own ‘fake news.’ For instance, the federal, Punjab and Sindh governments move to stop government advertisements of Dawn newspaper, because of its professional and critical approach in reporting and editorials. Contrary to this, the recent decision of the government to declare not only official media like the Pakistan Television, Radio Pakistan and the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) as ‘strategic institutions,’ which for decades have been used to promote ‘fake news.’
The Islamabad Declaration completely rejected PECA, and declared it as a ‘draconian law,’ it not only demand its immediate withdrawal but also other ‘black laws,’ which have often been used against journalists, including the Anti-Terrorism Act, as even at present there are nearly one dozen journalists, editors in Balochistan alone who are facing these charges. It condemned the unprecedented powers given to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) aimed at targeting dissenting voices. PFUJ has already worked out a plan to take up the issue not only in courts but also at the international forum.
The trade union also planned a different protest strategy, which may surprise many including the government, details of which may not be shared with the media before the plan. As a body of professional trade unions of journalists, PFUJ has decided not only to frame a wide-ranging ‘code of conduct’ for print, electronic and digital media but also a practical mechanism to implement it like the Media Complaints Commission, comprising independent minds of senior journalists, and members of civil society. Although many organizations have their respective code of conduct and code of ethics, for the first time PFUJ is working out a plan to educate its members to respect the code.
The leadership called upon the media stakeholders to assist this trade union to frame a draft and mechanism to defend freedom of the media, free speech and free expression as well as the right to information, raising professional standards which have drastically gone down in the last two decades. PFUJ is also working on a plan for the revival of the print media. In separate message to PFUJ President Afzal Butt, Secretary-General Arshad Ansari, and other office-bearers on their remarkable victory, politicians, ministers and human rights defenders expressed the hope that the new leadership would play a key role in promoting press freedom, safeguarding rights, and fostering responsible journalism.
