ISLAMABAD: PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday said that it was the time to give a final push to the government.

She was addressing the ‘National Convention on Legislation Regulation & Media Crisis – The Way Forward’ jointly organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) and the National Press Club.

The participants of the convention rejected the proposed Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority, saying it was tantamount to backstabbing the right to freedom in the country.

She said the PML-N would take part in the PFUJ long march from Quetta to the federal capital.

She described the journalists as her heroes, and strongly condemned the attacks, violence and intimidation.

“Even the cameras of Safe City Islamabad do not work at the time of attacks on journalists,” the PML-N vice president added.

“No one knows the names of those who use judges as they are not visible to anyone, but those who speak out their names are called traitors.” Maryam Nawaz added.

“Today, the people of Pakistan are politically mature that despite all the atrocities, the voice of the politicians and the journalists could not be silenced. I assure you that after coming to power the PML-N will safeguard the rights of media and journalist,” she said.

President PFUJ Shazada Zulfiqar said that 26 journalists have lost their lives since 2008 and 14 journalists have been shot while the killers of 12 are unknown.

President PFUJ announced that the date of the long march will be announced after consultations with human rights organisations, civil society and others including the legal fraternity.

“We understand the hardships that we will face during this march, from Quetta to Islamabad that could take around 10 days,” he said.

PFUJ secretary general Nasir Zaidi rejected the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority bill.

“We know the forces behind it, there has been a lot of struggle to uphold the freedom of media in this country and now it is being said that this so called Authority will stop fake news, but the fact is every government itself has published fake news in the newspapers,” Mr Zaidi said.

He read out the “Charter of Freedom of Speech” that was approved by the participants of the convention.

Khush Dil Khan, Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council said that currently the country was not the state of democracy but it was under a civil martial law.

President of Bar Association Ahsan Bhoon, senior journalists Hamid Mir, Asma Shirazi, Ayub Malik of Pakistan Watan Party Punjab, Secretary General of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Haris Khaliq, former president PFUJ Afzal Butt also addressed the convention and pointed out that the centre of power does not tolerate criticism and various tactics are used to suppress the voice of the media.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2021