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In a strong show of resistance against increasing curbs on media freedom, journalists from across Pakistan unanimously rejected the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, describing the legislation as a "draconian black law" designed to silence dissent and tighten control over the country's media landscape, as reported by Dawn.
According to Dawn, the declaration was issued at the conclusion of the National Journalists Convention on "Media Laws, Regulations, and Ethics", organised jointly by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ). More than 600 journalists and media workers, including women journalists from different regions, attended the gathering. The convention's final statement, titled the "Islamabad Declaration", accused the authorities of betraying earlier assurances that Peca laws would never be used against journalists. Participants alleged that the government had instead intensified judicial harassment, including travel restrictions, arbitrary offloading of reporters from flights, and intimidation aimed at creating fear among media professionals. The convention also condemned mass layoffs in electronic media organisations, calling them part of a deliberate campaign to weaken independent journalism and force media institutions under state influence. Journalists further criticised the growing use of third-party hiring systems, claiming they were being used to bypass labour protections, wage board regulations, and employee rights. The declaration additionally denounced the denial of basic facilities such as health insurance, gratuity, and EOBI benefits for journalists and media workers. Participants demanded immediate legal reforms to guarantee job security for workers in print, electronic, and digital media sectors. The convention strongly criticised the government's alleged use of public advertisements as a pressure tactic to manipulate editorial policies and suppress critical reporting, as highlighted by Dawn. The gathering demanded the unconditional withdrawal of all cases filed against journalists under Peca and urged parliament to review all media-related laws conflicting with Article 19 of Pakistan's Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
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