Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has showed concern over “worrying new policies and practices” that can seriously compromise the freedom of expression and safety of media in the country.

According to a report issued by PPF on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, being observed globally on May 3, it cited that “aggressive system of editorial advice to television channels by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA); legal action prohibiting speeches and interviews of MQM chief Altaf Hussain, and the failure of the judicial commission to identify culprits and fix responsibility for the murderous attack on popular television talk show host Hamid Mir as worrying recent developments related to freedom of expression and impunity for crimes against media”.

The reports also expresses concern over the passage of the cyber crimes bill by the National Assembly that could be used to “curtail free expression”, and the banning of feature film ‘Maalik’ and two documentaries ‘Among the Believers’ and ‘Besieged in Quetta’.

However, the report also noted a number of positive developments related to freedom of expression and safety of media in Pakistan including lifting of ban on YouTube after three years, creation of ‘Editors for Safety (EfS)’, the decision of the Sindh police to reinvestigate the killing of journalist Shan Dahar in Larkana district and the conviction of the killer of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa journalist Ayub Khattak.

It said that the process of taming television channels that started in 2014 after the murderous attack on Hamid Mir continues unabated, with PEMRA issuing directives that impinge on editorial independence of Pakistan’s television news channels.

It said, “PEMRA had been issuing directives and press advice to television channels on a range of issues including coverage of Pakistan’s decision not to send ground forces to Yemen; the tragedy in Mina in which many Pakistani citizens died and media black out of MQM chief Altaf Hussain.” The PPF report also called on the government to officially release the Hamid Mir Judicial Commission report including all its annexures and appendices including submissions by Hamid Mir and other witnesses.

The reports also documented that twelve media personnel were injured in three different incidents in the first four months of this year.