As Pakistan’s general elections draw nearer, prominent media organizations in the country have issued an appeal to key mainstream and regional political parties involved in the election campaign. The appeal urges these parties to commit to concrete measures in support of press freedom.
Leading press clubs in Pakistan, national and provincial unions of journalists, the Paris-based global media watchdog organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and RSF’s Pakistan partner Freedom Network have jointly called on the heads of contesting parties to incorporate their commitment to defending freedom of expression and the protection of journalists in their party manifestos.
The joint letter issued on Thursday highlighted the issue of impunity for crimes against journalists and media in Pakistan. It pointed out that Pakistan was one of the five countries included in a pilot project of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. According to Freedom Network’s Annual Impunity 2022 report, there have been “no convictions in 96% of journalist killings in the past 10 years.”
The letter expressed alarm at such a high rate of impunity for crimes against media practitioners, emphasizing that it puts journalists in extreme danger for simply practicing journalism. This, in turn, denies the citizens of Pakistan their right to know and access information, which are fundamental rights enshrined in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, guaranteed by Articles 19 and 19A.
Notable organizations and figures, including the Karachi Press Club, Lahore Press Club, Quetta Press Club, National Press Club Islamabad, Peshawar Press Club, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, and many others, co-authored this joint letter.
The statement underscored the important historical role of political parties in supporting freedom of expression and press freedom in Pakistan. It also emphasized the steadfastness of journalistic institutions such as press clubs and journalists’ unions in upholding constitutional rights to freedom of expression.
The appeal called on federal and regional political parties in Pakistan to make a concrete commitment to defending press freedom, journalistic independence, and pluralism as fundamental guarantees of a functioning democracy. It specifically urged them to consider legislative guarantees for the protection of journalists and the fight against impunity for crimes of violence against them.
The joint letter was delivered to several prominent political parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), and others. It seeks their commitment to defending press freedom should they be elected to national and provincial parliaments in the upcoming general elections.
