ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Tuesday reviewed the private member bill titled ‘The Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (Amendment) Bill, 2022’, proposing the establishment of a commission to provide immediate relief to journalists against torture and other woes.

The bill was discussed during the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting chaired by Senator Syed Ali Zafar.

The bill’s mover, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, argued that the purpose of the bill was to protect journalists, their families and properties.

“The bill proposes the establishment of a commission to provide immediate relief to journalists against torture and other calamities,” he said.

Members of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said that the lawful definition of “journalists” varied in different areas and should be standardised everywhere.

The bill also proposed clauses to protect the sources of journalists. The committee, after a detailed discussion, deferred further deliberations until the next meeting.

The committee also discussed the ‘Punjab Defamation Act’ where Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that the committee had no right to review legislation passed by provincial governments, as the matter fell under the ambit of the provinces following the 18th Amendment.

Senator Zafar emphasised that the purpose of the law should be to balance fundamental rights and freedoms, rather than to diminish one at the expense of the other.

The Senate committee decided to hold an exclusive session to discuss the impact of flawed defamation acts on society and freedom of expression.

The meeting was also attended by senators Pervaiz Rashid, Sarmad Ali, Aon Abbas, Mohammad Tallal Badar, Abdul Shakoor Khan, Jan Mohammad, Ashraf Ali Jatoi, Zarqa Suharwardhy Taimur and Manzoor Ahmed Kakar as well as Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2024