LAHORE, Aug 4: The Human Rights Commission has advised the government to address the root cause of growing social unrest instead of seeking to bully those highlighting the issue or attempting to expose wrongdoing.
This was stated by HRCP chairperson Tahir Muhammad Khan and secretary-general Hina Jilani in a joint statement issued here on Wednesday. They criticized the amendment proposed to the law promulgated in 2002 to make defamation a criminal offence under the Pakistan Penal Code. They said that it seemed to specifically target publications and terrorising the Press.
The proposed amendments, they said, aimed at toughening the law and easing the way for its use against the publication. It was feared that the continued policy of repressing the media freedom could only lead to deepening of frustration already being felt in society.
They said the HRCP supported the point of view of the press bodies that the proposed amendment would have a negative effect on freedom of expression. Efforts to clamp down on dissent, silence individual journalists through intimidation and browbeat the media into submission through tactics such as withholding the advertisements had been becoming increasingly blatant over the past two years.
They said the HRCP had repeatedly drawn attention to the media laws promulgated in 2002 to curb free expression. Despite strong reservations voiced by bodies representing the newspaper editors, owners and professional journalists the calls made for amendment to the laws had gone unheard.
The Freedom of Information Law promulgated in 2002 had been enforced a few weeks back but the journalists and the citizens continued to complain that obtaining information had remained impossible as before due to rules and procedures requiring provision of information like specific dates, titles and serial numbers of files out of their access.
Referring to the dangers faced by the journalists under the law, they said the arrest of reporter Sarwar Mujahid in Okara several days ago to prevent him from reporting on the growing violence on the military farms was just one indication of the growing threat.
Mujahid had also been detained last year for reporting the situation on the farms and charged with terrorist activities. Reporters in tribal areas also faced multiple restrictions to prevent them from the performance of their duties.
