Freedom of speech | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

A journalist in Landi Kotal being threatened for Vlog

Pakistan Press Foundation

Some villagers threatened Mehrab Shah Afridi, a journalist from Khyber District, and attempted to attack him inside the Landi Kotal Press Club, causing anguish and indignation within the journalist community. These intimidators serve Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, according to Mehran Shah Afridi, also a TNN correspondent from Landi Kotal Tehsil. Speaking […]


Provisional Assembly (PA) once again adopts bill for journalists’ protection

Pakistan Press Foundation

The Sindh Assembly on Monday once more adopted the Sindh Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Bill 2021. The bill was earlier returned by the governor to the legislature as he had objected to some features of the proposed law and refused to give his assent. After the second passage of the bill by […]


Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists seeks clarification from Prime Minister over Gill’s statement

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has demanded Prime Minister Imran to explain his position on freedom of speech in the wake of his Special Assistant on Information Shehbaz Gill’s statement over the issue. The journalists’ body expressed grave concerns over the statement of Gill in which he openly announced that the PTI government […]


PFUJ deplores raid on journalist’s house in Karachi

Pakistan Press Foundation

KARACHI: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the Sindh government for conducting a raid on the house of journalist Shabbar Aazmi. “The police raid on the house of bedridden Shabbar Aazmi, who suffered a paralysis attack a few months ago and is wheelchair-bound, is not only highly condemnable but also a shameless […]


Veteran Hussain Naqi warns against gagging press, public voice

Pakistan Press Foundation

Veteran journalist and human rights activist – Hussain Naqi on Monday warned that gagging of press would rather hurt the country’s integrity. “The 1971-like situation may strike the society if the public voice is suppressed,” veteran Naqi said, speaking at a function held in his honour by Karachi Press Club. Trade unionists, labour leaders, journalists […]


Freedom of speech and blasphemy

Pakistan Press Foundation

Foe few weeks a serious issue, ‘blasphemy’, was the talk of the town. Pakistan had apparently succeeded in stopping the contest of Blasphemous Caricature which was to be held in Holland organised by Geert Wilders. Blasphemy law is a law limiting the freedom of speech and expression relating to blasphemy, or irreverence toward holy personages, religious […]


‘Blasphemy accusations increased after current law introduced’

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: A study on ‘Blasphemy in the Digital Age’ has revealed that blasphemy accusations increased by almost 200 times after Gen Ziaul Haq amended the blasphemy law. Presented by the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) on Friday, the study drew comparisons between the period before and after the current blasphemy law was introduced in 1987. Prior […]


Talking it out: Pakistan’s fear of expressing itself

Pakistan Press Foundation

KARACHI: Articles 19 and 19A of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantee citizens’ freedom of speech and expression but why is it that, in 2015, we are not free to express ourselves without fear, asked actress Nadia Jamil while moderating a session on ‘Freedom of Expression. What Sets the Boundaries?’ on day one of the School […]


Cybercrime bill: Politicians voice fears over stifling of freedoms

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: A groundswell of opposition has developed over the cybercrime bill with virtually all political groupings announcing their intention to oppose the current draft when it is tabled in the National Assembly, citing it as a threat to the freedom of expression. Several parties including the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) are upset over not […]


Free speech: Asma moves SC against media ban on Altaf Hussain

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has challenged in Supreme Court the Lahore High Court’s order banning live speeches of its chief Altaf Hussain on TV channels. The Lahore High Court (LHC) on September 7 had banned the live broadcast of Altaf Hussain’s speeches and images. It also directed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) […]


Running for their lives: 16 Pakistani journalists went into exile since 2010

Pakistan Press Foundation

The freedom of speech still seems to be a distant dream for Pakistanis, so much so that 16 journalists have had to seek it from foreign shores after going into exile since 2010, says a report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). According to the data compiled by the CPJ, the total number […]


Suppressed voices: Remembering the struggle of journalists in 1977

Pakistan Press Foundation

KARACHI: While many journalists today seem to have forgotten the time when they worked under the martial law of 1977, Ahfazur Rahman remembers. Journalist and writer Rahman has written a book about the journalists’ movement of 1977-1978. The book titled ‘Sab se Bari Jang‘ was launched on Saturday at the Arts Council of Pakistan. Many […]


Journalists stage countrywide protest against Cyber Crime Bill

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: The journalists on the World Press Freedom Day on Sunday marched on the roads and vowed if the government tried to mute the voice of the media through Cyber Crime Bill, they would strongly resist this move and stage large scale demonstrations in favour of freedom of speech and expression in the country. The […]


Murder of freedom

Pakistan Press Foundation

It is a dark time for freedom of speech. It is a return to the medieval ages wherein men (and women) were burnt, impaled and tortured for daring to exercise dissent and free will. Now we live to see the day where men are hacked to death on the streets for expressing their views. Another […]