Pakistan: Senior Journalists slapped with sedition cases for criticizing state institutions
May 23, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], May 23 : As per the emerged reports multiple FIRs have been filed against senior journalists and they are booked under sedition cases for allegedly criticising state institutions.
These journalists are commonly understood to be closer to the Imran Khan led - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party. This comes as PTI Chairman Imran Khan condemned the filing of FIRs against the journalists and branded it "political retaliation".
He alleged that the government was behind the "fake FIRs" and said it was "absolutely unacceptable", reported Dawn.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's media regulator Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA) on Monday warned the TV channels against airing content that "ridicules" state institutions, especially the judiciary and the army.
The regulator said that if actions go in opposition to the passed guidelines than the person under consideration will face retribution such as suspension of transmission and imposition of a fine without any prior notice.
This is not the only time that PEMRA has sent out such instructions. This Pemra's instruction had followed after a similar warning on May 9 ago wherein it warned private electronic media from airing content against the armed forces and judiciary, as per the media portal.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Sunday called upon the government to revoke the 'black laws' gagging media freedom in the country and also asked it to ensure the complete freedom of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). The body further stated that the government should start a meaningful dialogue with the media stakeholders.
These demands by Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the PFUJ in three resolutions were adopted at the concluding session of its three-day meeting.
These resolutions were related to the government-media relationship, violence against the journalists and deteriorating working conditions in the media due to the non-implementation of labour laws.
