The Joint Action Committee (JAC), meeting at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) under the chairmanship of KPC President Fazil Jamili, expressed serious concerns over the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), notices issued to journalists by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), restrictions on freedom of expression, and legal challenges facing media professionals.
The committee called for the immediate withdrawal of notices issued to journalists and decided to continue legal consultations, parliamentary engagement, lobbying, and protests against actions targeting journalists. It also agreed to explore legal remedies, including approaching the courts.
Addressing the meeting, Fazil Jamili said journalists were being repeatedly served notices and expressed concern that the NCCIA was acting as judge and investigator. He noted that restrictions were increasingly extending beyond print and electronic media to social media, creating an atmosphere of intimidation.
Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas stressed that PECA and the NCCIA should not be used to curb freedom of expression. He called for improvements to defamation laws rather than their use as a tool to intimidate journalists. He also highlighted the need for a comprehensive definition of fake news, noting that misleading information can originate from government institutions as well as other sources.
Abbas further proposed establishing media complaint cells with journalist representation, publishing their recommendations and decisions, introducing ombudsman mechanisms within media organisations, and providing professional training to promote responsible journalism.
Other participants emphasised the need to keep the Karachi Press Club and relevant journalists’ unions informed about notices and complaints against journalists so that timely legal assistance could be provided. They also called for reviewing defamation laws, clearly defining the workplace in the context of digital journalism, raising awareness of journalists’ legal rights, and forming a dedicated legal team to address cases involving PECA and the NCCIA.
PFUJ representatives and other union leaders stressed that legislation must remain consistent with the Constitution. Participants also called for a constitutional challenge to PECA, citing concerns regarding Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression subject to constitutional restrictions.
Key Decisions of the Meeting
The Joint Action Committee agreed to:
- Demand the immediate withdrawal of notices issued to journalists.
- Form a delegation to meet parliamentarians and brief them on journalists’ concerns regarding PECA and the NCCIA.
- Continue legal consultations, parliamentary engagement, lobbying, and protests.
- Establish an effective coordination mechanism to ensure timely information about notices and legal proceedings involving journalists.
- Hold JAC meetings every month to strengthen collective action for press freedom and freedom of expression.
The meeting was attended by KPC President Fazil Jamili, Secretary Aslam Khan, Joint Secretary Farooq Sami, senior journalist Mazhar Abbas, PFUJ Dastoor Secretary General A.H. Khanzada, PFUJ Treasurer Shehr Bano, KUJ Secretary Liaquat Kashmiri, KUJ Dastoor President Nasrullah Chaudhry, Secretary Rehan Chishti, KUJ General Secretary Lubna Jarrar, PFUJ Vice President Ghazala Faseeh, and Press Photographers Association President Jameel Ahmed.
The committee reaffirmed the importance of collective action by journalists’ bodies to protect press freedom, uphold constitutional rights, and address legal and professional challenges facing journalists in Pakistan.
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