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Pakistan Press Foundation

Imran exempted from court appearance

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD – Special Anti-Terrorism Court Tuesday exempted Prime Minister Imran Khan permanently from his personal appearance before the court in cases registered in 2014 for allegedly attacking the buildings of Parliament and Pakistan Television (PTV). ATC judge Kausar Abbas Zaid conducted hearing of the cases regarding alleged attacks on PTV headquarters and the Parliament House during sit-in of […]


Pakistan to propose strict anti-human trade laws

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan hopes to enact two federal laws this year to boost its fight against human trafficking and avoid possible downgrading on a US Trafficking in Persons report and consequent funding restrictions, a senior interior ministry official said yesterday. The Ministry of Interior is working on two draft laws, the Bill to Prevent and […]


Year 2015 passes without passage of RTI law

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: The year 2015 has passed amid promises of enacting the Right to Information law at the federal level with the PML-N government dilly-dallying on it since 2014 by flirting with different ideas to improve the draft bill. The RTI bill drafted in 2014 for replacing a weak legislation, Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002, has […]


Political will needed to protect journalists

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Politicians, mediapersons and civil society activists on Tuesday said there was a lack of political will to ensure security for mediapersons. They were speaking at a consultation arranged by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) to finalise a report on ‘Enhancing security for mediapersons’. The speakers said targeted killing of mediapersons cannot be […]


Punjab, Balochistan not sharing information of public interest: PILDAT

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD – A prominent advocate of Right to Information (RTI) law yesterday complained that provinces of Punjab and Balochistan were not cooperating in sharing information of vital public importance. Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), an independent think tank focusing on democracy, governance and public policy said that the two provinces had been […]


Pakistan may have top global ranking if RTI draft law passed

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is an ‘if’ away from grabbing the top global ranking as it can proudly claim to have the best Right to Information (RTI) legislation in the world to promote transparency if the draft RTI Act 2014 is passed into law from parliament. The Canada-based Center for Law and Democracy (CLD) that does international […]


PTV national to broadcast live proceeding of Parliament: Pervaiz

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD – Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Thursday informed the National Assembly that PTV National would broadcast live proceedings of the Parliament. The minister said that, PTV National had been assigned to broadcast live proceeding of the budget session keeping in view the desire of members of National Assembly […]


Budget debate to be telecast live

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: An opposition walkout from the National Assembly and hard bargaining on Monday won the facility of a live telecast of parliament’s budget debate for the first time in Pakistan beginning on Tuesday. Leader of the Opposition Khurshid Ahmed Shah refused to open the general debate in the National Assembly on the budget for 2015-16 […]


Protecting rights: Minorities demand ‘powerful’ commission

Pakistan Press Foundation

KARACHI: Representatives of various religious minorities have demanded the constitution of a ‘powerful’ commission on minorities’ rights. They have also suggested that no non-Muslim parliamentarian be made a part of the commission. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan member Amarnath Motumal reasoned the commission should not consist of parliamentarians nominated on reserved seats for minorities as […]


Pildat concerned over electronic crimes bill

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: An analysis, conducted by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Democracy and Transparency (Pildat), of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill 2015, has raised concern about various clauses of the proposed legislation. The analysis’ proposed legislation is currently pending before Parliament.The major concerns raised on various clauses of the legislation, especially relating to its possible […]


Cyber lawlessness

Pakistan Press Foundation

The much debated Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill 2015 has caused serious concerns amongst individuals and businesses alike. The Bill has been termed draconian, prejudicial, etc. My reading of it (which is taken from media networks) shows there are serious legal flaws that must be remedied before the Bill is promulgated. While in the modern […]