Location: Pakistan, Islamabad
Date: September 15, 2021

Journalists around the country protested in the capital against the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA). In a sit-in conducted outside the Parliament House, journalists opposed the restrictions that the proposed bill will impose on the press in Pakistan, citing it as a measure to curb free speech and criticism in the country. The protest demonstration was supported by various sections of civil society, including members of the judiciary as well as the opposition.

The protest began at National Press Club from where the journalists marched to the Parliament House where they staged a sit-in on Monday, September 13, 2021. The protest has gained support from various bodies including All Pakistan Newspapers Society, Pakistan Broadcasters Association, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association Pakistan, international media and journalists bodies, human rights watchdogs, as well as the current opposition.

The PMDA aims to regulate print, electronic and social media through one government body. Those working in the field believe that not only is that logistically impossible since each medium has its own unique dynamic, but this is also a measure to police free speech in the country. The bill proposes a regulatory body of eight members, four representing the media and four the state. However, there are currently 12 journalistic bodies currently operating in the country based on medium, geography and language and other variables. The proposed power distribution means at least 8 of those bodies will not be represented. It also gives government representatives more than their fair share of say in what should of should not be published in the press.

Pakistan currently ranks 145 on the press freedom index and the further bureaucratic impositions will only make the system less transparent and more inefficient while curbing freedom of speech.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism extends its support to the protesting journalists in Pakistan. A robust press is important to ensure democratic principles in the political culture of the country. Any attempt to curb free speech is an attack on civil rights that cannot be tolerated. We demand that the government pay heed to these demands and refrain from passing any controversial law that restricts press freedoms in the country.

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.