ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has condemned the statement of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry regarding the national convention organised by the PFUJ recently on Freedom of Media and Freedom of Expression.

It asked the information minister to refrain from generating fake news to divert public attention from real issues, such as the shrinking civic space for debate, discussion and dissent.

The information minister had said the Federal Investigation Agency and the Economic Affairs Division should probe affairs of the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), which had provided funding for the PFUJ convention.

In a tweet, Mr Chaudhry said he had called for a probe after Sarwar Bari, a former head of the FAFEN, had levelled serious allegations against the network and the convention.

Reacting to the tweets and statements issued by Mr Chaudhry and Minister of State Farrukh Habib, PFUJ’s President Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi termed them “irresponsible”.

They said the event was organised to hold an open debate on the unannounced censorship and curbs on the national media by the PTI government. “Holding such open debates is a mandate and responsibility of civil society and no threats by any minister can deter us from pursuing our path to achieve freedom of press and freedom of expression in the country,” they said.

The PFUJ leadership noted that since the inception of PTI government, Pakistan is being viewed as a country where “democratic norms and practices” are being compromised. “Pakistan has dropped to its lowest level in the World Press Freedom Index during the last three years,” they said. “This speaks volumes about the coercive policies of the government.”

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2021