World Press Freedom Day: Farhatullah Babar concerned at weakening of economic model of media in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Human Rights Cell President ex-Senator Farhatullah Babar expressed deep concern over the weakening of the economic model of media undermining press freedoms.
On the eve of the World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, the President Human Rights Cell of the PPP ex-Senator Farhatullah Babar in his statement said, 'It is a grim thought that on the World Press Freedom Day today Pakistan, according to the 'Reporters Without Borders' has earned the dubious distinctions of joining the ranks of those 42 countries where either there is no press freedom at all or if there is some semblance of it the profession of journalism has become 'most dangerous' occupation.
He said, 'It is no less an agonizing thought that according to the same report Pakistan touched a new low of ranking 158 in terms of freedom of press in the comity of nations and is bracketed with Afghanistan and some other countries facing a 'very serious situation' in respect of freedom of press. The dubious distinctions places Pakistan almost at par with Palestine, at serial 163 on the scorecard, where Israeli forces killed nearly two hundred journalists during the last 18 months, 42 of them during the performance of their journalistic duties.
Farhatullah Babar said that the year 2025 started on a most inauspicious note for journalists as it began with changes to the PECA law that has exposed journalists reporting online to intimidation, harassment and subjected to grave abuse of judicial processes by the FIA with impunity and without accountability, as never before.
Farhatullah Babar called upon the political parties and members of Parliament to ensure implementation of section 53 of the PECA Act and compel the FIA to place six monthly reports before Parliament detailing the actions taken by it under the PECA.
He said that the failure of the Parliament to do so has emboldened the FIA to get away with torturing and humiliating journalists with total impunity. This situation cannot and must not be allowed to persist, he said.
He said that it also strongly condemns the blatant advertising restrictions on some media outlets by the government who refuse to peddle the 'official truth and official narrative.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
10 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
Bring India to table, Bilawal urges world
Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is heading a parliamentary delegation to the West, on Saturday urged the international community to play its role in ensuring permanent peace in South Asia, including resolution of the longstanding Kashmir dispute, water issues and terrorism through a composite dialogue which, he said, India was unwilling to pursue. Addressing a news conference for the international media in Brussels, the PPP chairman stressed that military confrontation was not a solution to the Kashmir issue or terrorism. "Dialogue is the only way forward," he stressed, calling on the international community to actively engage with India to defuse tensions. "It is a moral obligation for the international community to encourage both sides to engage in diplomacy for regional peace," he said, reiterating that Pakistan was seeking a bilateral composite dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues. Bilawal also addressed the regional conflict involving Iran, saying, "We certainly do not want a war on this border (with Iran). Pakistan has condemned the strikes that took place over the last couple of days on our neighbouring country." "We will continue to advocate for peace on all our borders, be it with Afghanistan, Iran, or India. We absolutely cannot afford this conflict in Iran to turn into Iraq 2.0 or World War III," he said. He warned that it had become "far too easy to have a war every month", adding that war seemed to have become the default response to any conflict or dispute. Calling on the international community to "immediately impose a ceasefire in this Iranian conflict with occupying forces in Palestine," Bilawal stressed, "We cannot have perpetual war. It serves none of our interests".
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Iranian news agency says Israeli strike targeted defence ministry in Tehran
TEHRAN:Iranian news agency Tasnim reported Saturday that an Israeli strike had targeted the country's defence ministry headquarters in Tehran and damaged one of its buildings. In 'an attack on Tehran this evening by the air force of the Zionist regime, the headquarters of the defence ministry was targeted. One of the headquarters' buildings was lightly damaged,' the agency said. First responders say 14 injured by Iranian missile hit on Israeli home The defence ministry did not comment.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
PPP distances itself from budget prep
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has rejected the federal budget and voiced strong reservations over the Punjab government's alleged disregard of the party in the budget-making process, sparking a war of words between PPP's Hassan Murtaza and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari. Speaking at a press conference at the PPP Model Town Secretariat, Hassan Murtaza, General Secretary of PPP Central Punjab, said the party was neither consulted nor were its suggestions included in the budget. "The people will receive no relief from either the federal or the expected Punjab budget," he said, criticising the government's economic policies and claiming that the region's peace was being threatened by a 'Modi-style' mind-set. Murtaza also used the occasion to launch a scathing critique of international powers, particularly the US and Israel, and questioned the credibility of global institutions like the United Nations. "The Muslim Ummah is being forced to recite verses of jihad; this is the same strategy Modi used against Pakistan," he said, adding that Pakistan must strengthen its economy as much as its defense. He lambasted the imposition of heavy taxes on agriculture, calling it a death knell for farmers. "From petrol to fertilisers and seeds, everything has been taxed. And yet, wheat is being sold cheap while sugarcane is purchased on credit and sugar is sold in cash," he said. Murtaza accused the Punjab government of operating a sugar mill mafia and claimed that rose water worth Rs320 million was sprayed on Lahore's roads while basic facilities remained unavailable to the poor. He also criticised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for allegedly misusing public funds for personal branding. "Maryam Nawaz is so obsessed with self-promotion that even dustbins carry her picture. But she can't include the Prime Minister, her own uncle, in those images," he said. Hitting back at the provincial government's performance, he said it had failed to deliver during its 16-month tenure. "If you're putting your face on dustbins, then own up to the inflation too," he remarked. He also condemned the recent imposition of 18% tax on solar panels and said future taxes on essentials like oxygen would be the logical next step if such policies continued. Murtaza criticised the 10% salary hike for government employees, terming it insufficient and demanded a 50% increase instead. He also denounced what he called the humiliation of medical professionals and accused the government of pushing various departments to protest at Charing Cross rather than enabling them to serve in offices. While reiterating the PPP's commitment to institutional reform, Murtaza said his party was ready to work with the government to fix the system but would not support exploitative policies. He also opposed the proposed advertising bill and urged Pakistan to align itself more strongly with neighbouring Iran. In a sharp rebuttal, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari dismissed Murtaza's remarks, saying, "A person who couldn't even win his own seat shouldn't be lecturing us." She claimed that in private gatherings, even Murtaza admitted that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's governance was the real reason PPP lost ground in Punjab. "Maryam Nawaz is not just making promises, she is fulfilling them. She's delivering real relief to people and translating dreams into reality," Bukhari said. Referring to Murtaza's recent visit to Sambrial, she said he had witnessed the government's work firsthand. Bukhari further slammed the PPP leader for rejecting a budget that hadn't even been presented. "This shows the state of your political judgment," she added. She emphasised that governments with vision can show results even in 16 months, while those lacking direction fail even after 16 years.
