President of Pakistan signs Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021

Our hard work has paid off, the long-standing demand of journalists has been fulfilled, President PFUJ

Islam Abad (APP, 94 news) The signing of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021 is welcome. The government prepared the act in consultation with journalists in a good spirit for the protection and welfare of journalists and approved it in Parliament. Journalists have faced murders by mafias in the past. Address at the signing ceremony of the Act.

President of the country Dr. Arif Alvi welcomed the signing of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021 and said that the government has approved this act in consultation with journalists in a good spirit for the protection and welfare of journalists. He expressed these views while addressing the signing ceremony of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act at the President's House on Wednesday. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib, Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication Dr. Shahbaz Gul, leaders of journalist organizations including PFUJ, Mudhar Iqbal, President PFUJ Professionals, Rana Nadeem Akhtar, Ahmed Waseem, President Faisalabad Union of Journalists Professionals Mian Nadeem Ahmed, Vice President Sameer Ajmal, Chairman Rana Muhammad Shafiq, Giant Secretary Saeed Somi, Executive Member PFUJ Naseer Cheema, Information Secretary FUJ Muhammad Wasim and a large number of officials and journalists from various press clubs across the country participated.

The President called the signing of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021 a historic day and said that journalists have always been under pressure and now the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act has been approved and signed by consensus. Dr. Arif Alvi said that journalists are impartial and they are always in danger, journalists have been raising their voices for their protection and rights for a long time, journalists have faced incidents of killing and injury by mafias in the past and they have also been harassed, journalists have been protected by this act that they cannot disclose their sources. The President expressed hope that journalists will also fulfill their responsibilities, a welfare scheme for journalists has also been launched through this act. The President said that the world, including Pakistan, is facing fake news. There is an order in the Holy Quran that if a wicked person brings a small news, then verify it. He said that a media commission will also be established under the act. The President emphasized the need for responsible journalism and said that journalists should take care that any news is given in real context. Describing the signing of the act as a big day for the country and journalists, the President said that the government has approved the act in a good spirit.

He said that journalists should also fulfill their responsibilities and take into consideration the rights of the society. President Dr. Arif Alvi thanked Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari and other participants for participating in the event.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain while addressing the ceremony said that the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021 For the first time, working journalists in Pakistan have been given the rights that are available to journalists in the first world. It is the duty of the government and the Ministry of Information to stand behind working journalists. We compare our media freedom with the first world, not the third world and Muslim world. The Federal Information Minister said that the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021 کا کریڈٹ وفاقی وزیر انسانی حقوق ڈاکٹر شیریں مزاری کو جاتا ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ جب وہ 2018ءمیں وزیر اطلاعات بنے تو اس کا آئیڈیا ان کے ذہن میں آیا، انہوں نے یہ کام وفاقی وزیر انسانی حقوق کے سپرد کیا جنہوں نے اس ایکٹ کی تیاری میں انتھک کوشش کی جس پر ان کے مشکور ہیں۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ حکومت اور وزارت اطلاعات کا فرض ہے کہ وہ ورکنگ جرنلسٹس کے پیچھے کھڑی ہوں۔ اس ایکٹ کی تیاری میں صحافی تنظیموں سمیت صحافیوں کے تمام گروپوں کے ساتھ مشاورت کی گئی۔ چوہدری فواد حسین نے کہا کہ پاکستان میں ایک طبقہ یہ تاثر دینے کی کوشش کرتا ہے کہ یہاں پریس کو آزادی حاصل نہیں، اگر پاکستان میں پریس فری نہیں تو دنیا میں کہیں بھی پریس فری نہیں ہوگا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ جب پریس کی آزادی کی بات آتی ہے تو ہم اپنا موازنہ تھرڈ ورلڈ اور مسلم ورلڈ سے نہیں بلکہ فرسٹ ورلڈ سے کرتے ہیں۔ چوہدری فواد حسین نے کہا کہ وزیراعظم نے جہاں بھی ذمہ داری لگائی، ہماری کوشش ہوتی ہے کہ اس حوالے سے کوئی نمایاں تبدیلی لے کر آئیں۔ وفاقی وزیر انسانی حقوق ڈاکٹر شیریں مزاری نے تقریب سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ پاکستان تحریک انصاف نے 2018ءمیں برسراقتدار آنے کے بعد پروٹیکشن آف جرنلسٹس اینڈ میڈیا پروفیشنلز بل پر سینئر صحافیوں اور صحافتی تنظیموں کے ساتھ مشاورت شروع کی۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ وزیراعظم عمران خان، وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات و نشریات چوہدری فواد حسین، وفاقی وزیر سینیٹرشبلی فراز اور دیگر حکومتی عہدیداروں نے ایکٹ کی تیاری میں بھرپور طریقہ سے اپنا کردار ادا کیا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ ایکٹ کی منظوری کے بعد میڈیا مالکان اب صحافیوں کی انشورنس اور فلاح و بہبود کے دیگر اقدامات کرنے کے پابند ہوں گے۔ قبل ازیں صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی صحافیوں کے تحفظ اور آزادانہ صحافت کے فروغ کے حامل جرنلسٹس اینڈ میڈیا پروفیشنلز پروٹیکشن ایکٹ 2021 Signed on.

A large number of officers and employees of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and its subsidiaries, officials of journalistic organizations and journalists also participated in the ceremony. It is noteworthy that the National Assembly 8 November 2021 Orcinet 19 Protection of journalists and media professionals on November 2021 (Act ) but rather 2021 was approved. Under this act, journalists and media professionals have got the right to privacy, they have got the right to free and impartial performance of professional duties and freedom of expression, they have got right to private life, home and personal correspondence. ( Including electronic communication)کی پرائیویسی، اپنی خبر کے ذرائع کو مخفی رکھنے کا حق،اورکسی بھی فرد یا ادارے کی جانب سے جبر، تشدد، خوف و ہراس، دھونس، دھمکی اور جبری گمشدگی کے خلاف تحفظ حاصل ہو گیا ہے ، انہیں خبر کا ذریعہ بتانے کیلئے مجبور نہیں کیا جا سکے گا، بل کے تحت انسداد دہشت گردی اور قومی سلامتی کے قوانین کی میڈیا پروفیشنلز کی پیشہ ورانہ سرگرمیوں کو روکنے کے خلاف ناحق استعمال کی روک تھام کی جائے گی۔میڈیا مالکان صحافیوں اور میڈیا پروفیشنلز کو مقرر کردہ میعارات کے تحت will provide life and health insurance, media owners will also be obliged to pay journalists on time. According to the bill, an independent commission will be established for the protection of journalists and media professionals, independent investigation and prompt redressal of complaints. The federal government will appoint the chairperson of the commission for two years, the commission will include at least three women members. Articles of the Constitution under the Bill 9 According to the right to life and security of journalists and media professionals will be ensured, no person, organization will be able to take any action that violates the right to life and security of any journalist and media professionals. The Government shall protect journalists and media professionals against forced or voluntary disappearance, abduction or abduction. They will be able to do their work without fear and danger, it will be ensured that their right to privacy will not be violated by any person, officer, agency or institution. The right of journalists and media professionals to express their opinion will be in accordance with the prevailing laws. Under the bill, content inciting national, ethnic, religious hatred and inciting discrimination, terror or violence will be banned. Creation of racial, linguistic, cultural or gender hate content will also be banned. Under the bill, it has been made mandatory for journalists and media professionals not to publish material that they know to be false or false, and those who fail to do so will be prosecuted. In case of violence, use of offensive language on journalists and media professionals by government employee or institution, the victim can file a complaint against it within 14 days before the commission. Federal Ombudsman or relevant agency 14 Will investigate and take legal action against harassment within the day. On a complaint by a journalist, the commission will set up an advisory committee which will decide whether the complaint should be heard or not. No one will be immune from legal action regarding threats, violence, coercion to journalists and media professionals. Legal assistance will also be provided to the affected journalists and media professionals. Under the bill, the commission will seek information from the government, secret agency or authority on the complaint of journalists and media professionals, and will seek reports, documents, data or evidence from them. The concerned government, agency or institution will investigate and take action within 14 days. The commission will have almost the same powers as a civil court. Threatening, oppressive and violent acts against media professionals will not be immune from prompt and effective investigation and legal action.

On this occasion, Central President PFUJ Professionals Mazhar Iqbal while talking to the media said that our hard work has paid off, we have been saying for a long time that journalists should be protected, today our long-standing demand has been fulfilled and the President of Pakistan has won the hearts of journalists by signing the Act, but the media owners are happy.