ISLAMABAD, 28 May 2025: The Board of Advisors of Freedom Network has expressed deep concerns at state of press freedom in the country with PECA law increasingly being used to silence critical voices, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif government’s indifference to combating impunity for crimes against media and its practitioners and not-so-enabling environment to encourage more women in journalism and using advertisement as tool to influence editorial policy of independent media groups.
At its inaugural meeting, the new members of the Board said that the absence of commission under the federal “Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act-2021” was a stark contrast to what PM Shehbaz pledged during a meeting of “Asia Safety Forum” under the aegis of Freedom Network in Islamabad on 06 December 2022.
“The delay in establishment of the commission under the federal law will just encourage perpetrators of crimes against media and its practitioners stepping up attacks to shrink spaces for freedom of expression,” the Board members said during the meeting taken place on 27 May in Islamabad, according for a press release Freedom Network issued on 28 May 2025.
Killing of journalist Latif Baluch in Awaran district of Baluchistan on 24 May 2025 was also condemned and Board members demanded of the Baluchistan government to track down the killers to bring them to justice at the earliest.
Ms Benazir Shah, Ms Farzana Ali, Dr Faizullah Jan, Mazhar Abbas and Peter Jacob consented to serve the Freedom Network Board of Advisors on voluntarily basis for a four-year term.
The meeting urged the federal government to move forward on PM Shehbaz Sharif commitment setting up the commission without further delays. “Pakistan is among the top countries where impunity for crimes against journalists is very high. There is a dire need to take urgent steps to combat this menace,” the Board members stressed.
Sindh is the only province where a commission is also set up after “Sindh Protection of Journalists and other Media Practitioners Act 2021 was passed from the provincial assembly.
“We demand Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces should follow into the Sindh steps to pass special laws to serve the three ‘Ps’ – prevention, protection and prosecution to combat impunity for crimes against journalists,” former Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists secretary-general Mazhar Abbas told the meeting.
Cases against journalists and other citizens under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA)-2016 increased dramatically, particularly in post-amendments period this year, the Board members told the meeting urging Freedom Network to take proactive campaign to discourage the law from being misused.
Ms Benazir Shah said more women’s entry into journalism was need of the hour pleading that an enabling environment was needed to be ensured at workplaces, press clubs and unions of journalists. “Gender in media currently is very low. We need to improve the current ratio,” she argued.
Dr Faizullah Jan, who teaches journalism in the University of Peshawar, was worried for shrinking space for academic freedom on premises of campuses. He also pleaded that journalism syllabus was required to respond to current media industry’s needs and challenges.
Increasing voices for religious minority groups in the mainstream media was underlined urging Freedom Network management to continue with its support for journalists from religious minority groups.
The members of Board of Advisors especially referred to eroding role of editor’s office in media houses which encouraged external forces to manipulate and influence editorial policy of media groups. “All stakeholders must work to restore the office of editor and editorial decisions are taken inside newsroom than elsewhere.”
Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak and Program Lead Minahil Shahab gave presentations on the organization’s governance framework, institutional policies, thematic expertise, current initiatives to defend freedom of expression and protection of journalists and roadmap to keep Freedom Network future-fit media watchdog expanding mandate from safety niche to new emerging avenues to serve the journalism.
Iqbal Khattak thanked International Media Support, Committee to Protect Journalists, International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders for their continued support to media freedoms in Pakistan and hoped they would remain steadfast friends of Pakistani media and its practitioners.
The meeting paid tributes to outgoing members, including Ali Shah (from Baluchistan), Ismail Khan and Ms Rukhshanda Naz (from Peshawar). A one-minute silence was observed for the departed souls of late Muhammad Ziauddin and Khalid Aziz. Both gentlemen had served the Board of Advisors until their natural death- END
CAPTION: New members of Freedom Network Board of Advisors being presented presentation on Freedom Network and its mandate and work. Photo by Freedom Network
