ISLAMABAD: Rights act­ivists, lawyers, journalists, politicians representing different political parties at a conference held here on Wed­nesday expressed the res­olve to resist and challe­nge government move to res­trict social media freedom.

They demanded review of rules framed under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016 and appro­ved a declaration stating that such “black laws will not only tarnish Pakistan’s image globally, but will also usurp the constitutional right of people of Pakistan guaranteed in Article 19 of the Constitution”.

Those who spoke at the conference included noted human rights activist I.A. Rehman, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, former senator Farhatullah Babar, veteran journalists Imtiaz Alam, Muhammad Ziaud­din, Hussain Naqi, Senator Pervez Rashid, Abid Saqi of Pakistan Bar Council, senior anchor person Hamid Mir, Haris Khalique of Human Rights Commission of Pakis­tan, Senator Jehanzeb Jama­l­dini, Senator Tahir Bizenjo, Sadaf Khan of Media Matters for Democracy and Chaudhry Shafiq of PCHR.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2020