Cabinet okays bills about journalists’ protection, forced disappearances

Published May 7, 2021
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari made the announcement on her official Twitter account.  — APP/File
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari made the announcement on her official Twitter account. — APP/File

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved two crucial bills for the protection of journalists and media workers and making the forced disappearances in the country a criminal offence.

“Today, the (federal) cabinet approved the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill and the Forced or Involuntary Disappearance (Criminal Law Amendment) Bill,” said federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari through her official account on social media website Twitter late on Thursday.

No details of the bills were provided by the minister.

Since no federal cabinet meeting was held on Thursday, the approval of the bills is understood to have been obtained through circular notification.

According to Dr Mazari, the bills will now be tabled before the National Assembly during its next session.

The minister in her tweet thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan over the approval of the bills, saying “the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) delivers on commitments”.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2021

Opinion

One year on

One year on

Governance by the ruling coalition has been underwhelming and marked by growing authoritarianism.

Editorial

Climate funding gap
Updated 17 Feb, 2025

Climate funding gap

Pakistan must boost its institutional capacity to develop bankable climate projects.
UN monitoring report
Updated 17 Feb, 2025

UN monitoring report

Pakistan must press Kabul diplomatically over its tolerance of TTP terrorism.
Tax policy reform
17 Feb, 2025

Tax policy reform

THE cabinet’s decision to create a Tax Policy Office at the finance ministry has raised hopes that tax policy is...
Maintaining balance
Updated 16 Feb, 2025

Maintaining balance

It must take a more proactive approach to establishing Pakistan’s bona fides.
Welcome return
16 Feb, 2025

Welcome return

IT is almost here; the moment Pakistan has long been waiting for — the first International Cricket Council...
Childhood trauma
16 Feb, 2025

Childhood trauma

BEING a child in this society should not be so hard. But recurrent reports of child abuse — from burying girl...