WEBDESK
ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR), in partnership with the Initiative for Digital and Media Freedoms (IMDF) and supported by the European Union, held a consultation session titled “UN Human Rights Instruments and Processes: Strengthening Advocacy for Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety” on Thursday.
The event aimed to enhance capacity for effective engagement with UN human rights mechanisms, promote collaboration among stakeholders, and strengthen advocacy efforts to ensure press freedom and the safety of journalists in Pakistan.
Key participants included PCHR Executive Director Shafique Chaudhry, MNA Sehar Kamran, Kamal Uddin Tippu (Retd. IG) — Chairperson of the Journalist Protection Commission — along with representatives from the Ministry of Human Rights, journalist unions, and civil society organizations.
In his opening remarks, Shafique Chaudhry highlighted the close link between journalist safety and freedom of expression, emphasizing the potential of UN human rights instruments to support media freedom.
MNA Sehar Kamran stressed the government’s responsibility to ensure journalists can work without fear, calling for cross-sector collaboration to uphold press freedom and civil liberties.
Afzal Butt, President of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), voiced concerns over media challenges such as job insecurity and urged prioritizing journalists’ job protection in all forums.
The session concluded with an open discussion focused on future steps to strengthen advocacy and protect media professionals in Pakistan.
It is important to note that journalists from Pakistan’s tribal areas face especially grave risks. Often tasked with responsibilities beyond journalism and denied regular pay, they are vulnerable to threats from both state and non-state actors. More than a dozen tribal journalists have lost their lives in recent years, while others have been forced into hiding. Despite this, meaningful protections remain absent.
