Despite multiple attacks targeting journalists and media persons, the federal cabinet didn't take up the difficulty in any of its first 62 meetings, that were held between September 1, 2018 and January 30, 2020, a handout by Freedom Network said on Friday.
The media rights watchdog obtained the knowledge from the govt after it filed an invitation for the knowledge under the Federal Right of Access to Information Act, 2017. The statement was released three days before the International Day for Universal Access to Information, which is additionally observed in Pakistan.
During the period of time , seven journalists and a blogger were murdered, six media persons were kidnapped and 15 were nominated in several legal cases, consistent with data collected by the watchdog. Additionally, the liberty Network said, 135 "violations" against media persons were reported.
According to the press statement issued today, Freedom Network had filed an invitation with the govt in February of this year "to seek official information on what percentage times the difficulty of growing number of murders, attacks and intimidation of journalists was haunted by the cabinet". the govt provided the knowledge last month.
“[A total of] 62 meetings of the [federal] cabinet were held during the amount of 01 September 2018 to 30 January 2020. the topic [issues of safety of journalists and impunity of crimes against media] wasn't on the agenda during the time-interval under discussion,” Cabinet Division’s Section Officer Jamil Ahmed informed the liberty Network through the Federal Information Commission.
The media watchdog's executive Iqbal Khattak, while commenting on the knowledge , said it had been "alarming that the very best governance forum within the country [...] remained oblivious to the aggravated levels of violence against journalists and other information practitioners, including murders and attacks".
“This official disregard to violence against media and its practitioners may be a direct contributory to the high levels of impunity that attackers and intimidators enjoy in Pakistan, putting the country within the list of top 10 most dangerous places within the world to practice journalism, consistent with international media watchdogs,” Khattak was quoted as saying.
He urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to "urgently materialise his promise" to table a bill ensuring the security of journalists and knowledge practitioners. The press statement mentioned that the bill has been drafted by the govt but has been "pending for an extended time now".
The watchdog recalled that Pakistan had endorsed the United Nations Plan of Action on the security of Journalists and problems with Impunity in October 2013, when the PML-N was in power.
"This plan includes a commitment to introduce a special law on safety of journalists," the statement said.
The handout added that so as to realize UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No.16.10, Pakistan will need to commit, "in practical terms", to guard journalists and fighting impunity for crimes against media.
The statement by the liberty Network comes on an equivalent day when Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari refuted reports that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered cases against journalists and rights activists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016.
"FIA examines all complaints but no FIR has been registered and FIA can't register a report under Peca without following the required legal procedure," the minister had said during a tweet, adding that if anyone had "contrary evidence in terms of FIRs", they ought to inform her in order that she will follow up.
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