ISLAMABAD: A joint meeting of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors, Pakistan Broad­casters Association and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (Burna, Dastoor and Workers) has unanimously rejected the government’s decision to set up special media tribunals.

The meeting, held in Islamabad, was attended by heads of all media organisations. They expressed profound concern over the federal government’s attempt to give a formal shape to its proposal to curb media freedom in the country, in addition to increasing restrictions already put on the media.

The joint meeting called upon the government to immediately withdraw the “anti-media decision”. It decided to take appropriate action to protest and resist the move. A standing committee comprising heads of these media organisations has been formed to take further action.

The meeting was attended by senior representatives of the media organisations, including APNS president Hameed Haroon, CPNE president Arif Nizami, PBA chairman Shakeel Masood, Mubarak Zeb Khan of the PFUJ (Burna), Nawaz Raza of the PFUJ (Dastoor), Pervez Shoukat of the PFUJ (Workers), CPNE vice president Sardar Khan Niazi and secretary general Dr Jabbar Khattak, APNS vice president Mumtaz A. Tahir, secretary general Sarmad Ali, joint secretary Syed Mohammad Munir Jillani and finance secretary Shahab Zuberi, Daily Pakistan chief editor Mujib-ur-Rahman Shami, Dawn editor Zaffar Abbas, Tijarat chief editor Jameel Athar, Business Recorder publisher Asif Zuberi, Raja Riaz and Tehseen Rathor of the PFUJ (Workers), Sahafat chief editor Khushnood Ali Khan and Ausaf editor Mohsin Bilal.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2019