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The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has voiced strong concern over the worsening situation of press freedom in Pakistan, condemning the rising violence, censorship, and economic insecurity confronting media professionals in the country, Dawn reported on Sunday.
According to Dawn, citing a statement issued on Saturday, the remarks came after a high-level meeting between a delegation of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and IFJ President Dominique Pradalie and Secretary General Anthony Bellanger at the headquarters of the Syndicat National des Journalistes (SNJ) in Paris. The discussions focused on what the IFJ described as an "escalating crisis" for journalists in Pakistan. The IFJ leaders expressed alarm over the targeted killings of journalists, misuse of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to file cases against media workers, harassment by state and non-state actors, undeclared censorship, forced layoffs, and widespread non-payment of salaries, as reported by Dawn. Calling the situation deeply concerning, Pradalie and Bellanger urged Pakistan's President, Prime Minister, and Chief Justice to intervene immediately, warning that continued inaction could lead to an appeal to the United Nations for international attention. The PFUJ delegation--comprising Secretary General Shakeel Ahmed, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists President Tariq Usmani, and Foreign Committee Head Waseem Shahzad Qadri--briefed IFJ officials on the challenges facing journalists on the ground, Dawn reported. In a joint statement, the IFJ leaders condemned the "unlawful" use of PECA against journalists, demanded the withdrawal of politically motivated cases, and called for the enactment of stronger laws to protect press freedom and prosecute those responsible for attacks on media professionals. They also criticised what they described as "undeclared censorship" imposed by government institutions, labelling it unconstitutional and undemocratic, as reported by Dawn. Highlighting the wave of layoffs and unpaid wages affecting hundreds of journalists, the IFJ officials urged Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to introduce urgent reforms to stop what they termed the "economic massacre" of media workers. The federation reaffirmed its solidarity with the PFUJ and announced that the issue of press freedom in Pakistan would be added to the agenda of the upcoming IFJ Congress. Pradalie and Bellanger further expressed concern over alleged death threats made against PFUJ President Rana Muhammad Azeem and others, Dawn reported. (ANI)
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