13/06/2026
PECA should be reviewed and all cases against journalists under it should be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally, Journalist organizations expressed their view in KUJ Dastoor Dialogue
No restriction on freedom of expression will be accepted, Representatives of journalist organizations expressed their views in KUJ Dastoor Dialogue
The current atmosphere of fear and panic is unbearable and harmful to the democratic structure of the country, journalists should be provided with a better working environment and provided with economic security, Journalist Bodies expressed their view in KUJ Dastoor Dialogue
Karachi ( Staff Reporter ) Journalists’ fraternity on Saturday unanimously rejected the amendments in the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crime Act and demanded immediate withdrawal of cases against journalists under PECA law.
The journalists also demanded better working environment for journalists in the media houses with economic security.
The demands came in an event “dialogue on receding press freedom and rising job security”, organized by the Karachi Union of Journalists (Dastoor) at the Karachi Press Club.
The participants also adopted resolution resolving that PEACA law has been made to put journalists under pressure and completely restrict the independent role of the media.
The resolution said that it was promised by the government that the PECA Act would not be used against journalists, but this promise was violated, which is highly condemnable.
The resolution demanded that all cases against journalists under the PECA Act be withdrawn unconditionally and immediately. The PECA Act should be reviewed so that it is not used as a political vendetta.
The participants also demanded all due salaries and arrears of journalists and media workers be cleared and delayed payments of media workers be paid without any further delay.
The meeting also condemned closure of Metro TV and demanded the immediate restoration of the channel otherwise the government should provide jobs to the affected journalists and media workers in other institutions.
It resolved that media workers be protected from the financial hardships generated by government policies affecting the media sector.
The meeting also observed that current atmosphere of fear and panic is unbearable and harmful to the democratic structure of the country and demanded that journalists should be provided with a better working environment and provided with economic security.
The journalists also called for a joint platform to discuss issues faced by the journalists’ fraternity.
The participants also emphasised that all outstanding salaries and dues owed to media workers be cleared without delay, warning that economic pressure had increasingly become a potent mechanism for undermining media freedom.
The gathering reaffirmed that the protection of freedom of expression and the right to access information were indispensable pillars of a functioning democracy.
Addressing participants, Joint Secretary CPNE Maqsood Yousufi, Secretary PFUJ Dastoor A. H. Khanzada , Academician Professor Saleem Mughal, President Mass Communication Department Ilma University Yasmeen Farooqui , President KUJ Dastoor Nasrullah Chaudhry, Secretary Rehan Khan Chishti, President KPC Fazil Jamili, Secretary KPC Aslam Khan, KUJ President Tahir Hasan Khan, KUJ’s secretary Lubna Jerar Naqvi, Senior Journalist Mazhar Abbas and Aamir Latif stressed the need of joint struggle of all media bodies for freedom of expression and press and educate the journalists for getting their due rights under the relevant laws.
Speakers noted that journalists are working under extreme stress either it is come through their media house in shape of delayed and low salaries or by pressure groups. Though the media organizations have received billions of rupees funds in name of advertisement but its benefits could not be transferred to the media workers.
Speakers of the dialogue said that after controlling the media houses, efforts are being made to impose restrictions on press clubs and called for joint struggle for press freedom.
Speakers expressed concern that the state had earlier assured the journalistic community that the law would not be deployed against the press however those promises were not fulfilled.
