In its annual report ((2021)), journalist Beyond Borders (BRF) condemned and despised the government for its consistent impetus to tighten screws around the Pakistani media. With constitutional obligations.

The report ranks Pakistan at 145 in the Press Freedom Index, confirming that the government is slowly but surely on the path to evenly spit out media, showing a decline from the previous year. I am. This report is certainly a terrible prosecution of the government’s policy of denying Pakistani citizens’ fundamental rights: freedom of speech and expression. The report cites an increasing number of horrific practices of harassment and intimidation of journalists, including the murder of the year. The report talks about serious censorship, disruption of newspaper distribution, obstruction of television channels, disciplinary distribution of government advertisements, and even the amount of cruel practices of authorities such as the private sector. die. Still, the official claims of free media may be illustrated in its naked form as a real-faced lie.

Pakistan deserves a better image at the international stage, but unfortunately it is known for the wrong reason. During the dissonant policies of the current administration, they are alien in democracy.

Parliament has been reduced to a wrestling pit position rather than a forum for debate, scrutiny, and legislation. The discriminatory nature of the accountability process involved in the opposition witch hunt is certainly questionable, with the economic collapse pushing up 7.5 million people. Under the poverty line is terrible, incompetently rooted terrible governance that impedes the provision of services is annoying, and human rights abuses by state agencies are worried, worried and international As the latest report on increased transparency of corruption is regrettable, the increase in persecution of religious minorities is disastrous, and the pain of the FATF’s gray list, which the government considers its success ironic. It’s very close. Sadly, Pakistan is being discussed today as one of the countries between Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Iraq and Nigeria. They are at the bottom of socio-economic indicators and freedom of expression is rare.

Countries characterized by freedom of expression and speech are also nearly corrupt-Denmark, Norway, Sweden-Free media actively promotes the sources of transparency and accountability at the heart of the culture of immunity. Because it is — the root cause of the vicious cycle of illness.

We will only discuss here the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Pakistan Constitution as a basic citizen’s right as set out in Article 19 of the Constitution. Government delinquency in this regard has been repeatedly emphasized by local media, Amnesty International, human rights groups, credible international organizations such as the International Federation of Journalists, and most recently, “cross-border journalists.” , May not be noticeable. How disappointing it is to reject such discoveries as part of the international agenda to hurt the country, instead of being seen by the government to improve the image of the country.

Conspiracy-theoretic self-righteousness is a dangerous trend, as it ends up in an obscure syndrome that drives the country further into the abyss.

The use of third-degree tactics against media personnel by state officials to silence dissent should be condemned. However, official spokespersons repeatedly denied and were actually in trouble with their sense of proportion and fairness. The denial of government restrictions on the media is of no importance as they are very well known and documented in the findings of national and international organizations after reaching their final state.

Therefore, in a recent resolution, the European Union specifically mentioned the shrinking space of the Pakistani media.

A resolution overwhelmingly passed by the European Parliament threatens to consider the GPS + facilities granted to Pakistan to provide incentives for Pakistan’s exports in the EU market. This facility offers Pakistani exporters more competitiveness than any other country in terms of tariff preferences. The EU is a large market for textiles, especially in Pakistan, and is therefore a major source of foreign exchange revenue for countries that frequently face foreign account deficits. Pakistan’s goodwill in the EU has already diminished due to growing religious intolerance in a country that is highly hostile to France, a very important member state of the European Union.

Governments may actively collaborate with EU countries to rally after taking concrete steps to dispel the impression of media oppression that they have been working to survive in a very difficult environment. In the first place, the press freedom and journalist protection bill can be actively followed instead of being sent to the Ministry of Justice, questioning the government’s intentions. The proposed ordinance, the Pakistan Media Regulatory Ordinance, may also be disowned at the earliest.

The swift and strong reaction of journalist representatives to civil society in general, especially to Pakistani media regulators, should have given authorities a fair view of how strongly people feel about media freedom. The Pakistan Bar Council, the representative body of journalists, and the PFUJ, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, have strongly rejected government movements, expressed a firm determination not to accept “media martial law”, and a national movement against the ordinance. To start.

The International Press Institute (IPI) is a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists working for media freedom in more than 100 countries and is serious about the Pakistan Media Regulatory Ordinance. I have expressed my concern. The world is also very wary of the trivial tactics the government uses to gag the media uniformly.

Threats from state officials continue to be foretold to journalists, news editors are forced to emphasize or ignore specific news, or give specific inclinations, forced censorship, media houses are government weapons Threatened by financial collapse through advertising, media lifelines, and yet government spokesmen claiming free coverage of the country is a reflection of stubborn thinking.

Media repression seems to be part of the “hybrid system” philosophy of moving from parliamentary democracy to quasi-democracy, or to a full PhD. The incumbent ruling class elite seems to think that the dream of dominating the country for decades may not come true under a constitution that demands new missions five years later. Sadly, campaigns against the media and the Constitutional Authority (Pakistan’s Judiciary Election Commission) could be part of the same political philosophy created to pave the way for governing the country regardless of its legitimacy obligations. There is. This could be dangerous due to the real possibility of a clash of institutions opening Pandora’s box of political issues resolved under the PPP government’s 18th Amendment. The ruling class elite may not live in a federal forbidden territory that may prove the shortest route to suicide. The need for time is to inject more federalism and more democracy, as the country cannot afford to make exorbitantly costly miscalculations for federalism and democracy.

Parliamentary democracy is one of the articles of the party’s idealistic beliefs that is too sacred and an important legacy, so the PPP says that fascist tentacles choke on Pakistan’s democracy and constitutional rule. Do not allow. The party had to pay the ultimate price of great leaders and workers in the struggle between the fierce dictatorships of successive military regimes, but has always raised the flag of democracy throughout its history. Was there. The democratic movement against military dictators General Ziaurhak and General Musharaf, led by PPP and its subsequent leaders, is certainly very fresh in Pakistan’s government and political history.

Today’s democracy in the country is certainly a recurring dividend of sacrifices of PPP leaders and workers in past history. The struggle is still going on. PPP’s incumbent leadership may certainly be responding to its reputation for launching authoritarians and anti-people forces. They seem to be reunited and have a fatal blow to the constitutional rule of the country. PPP leadership has undoubtedly promised to frustrate their designs against the 1973 Federation and Constitution.

History is a witness that PPP has always supported media freedom and in fact actively participated in the press freedom movement initiated during the country’s junta. PPP is committed to competing with the journalist community in the fight against media restrictions. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has recently announced full solidarity with journalists who have been victims of state officials, and has made a loud statement that the party will not allow the media to shatter under any circumstances.

Newspaper: News