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KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that press freedom has been chained through threats, intimidation, and pressure tactics by the PTI regime.
In his message on World Press Freedom Day, the PPP Chairman said that the government has gagged the media to hide its illegitimacy, incompetency, and sheer failure. He called for lifting the declared and undeclared curbs imposed on the media.
He added that several independent journalists and anchorpersons have been forcibly taken off TV screens and have taken to social media to express their independent analysis and opinions.
Bilawal pointed out that PPP has been at the forefront of championing press freedom in Pakistan and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had abolished the draconian press laws imposed by Zia’s dictatorial regime.
He said that the suppression of free media in Pakistan is a great disservice to the nation and will only serve to add fuel to flames of the legitimate anger and frustration of the people.
‘Freedom of the press was a pivotal part of a vibrant society and democracy, giving voice to the people to be heard,” he said. “Therefore, all censorship including imposed self-censorship through latent threats should be undone and the media should be allowed to play its role as an independent watchdog.”
He expressed concern that Pakistan had dropped to 145 out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index, an annual ranking of countries published by Reporters Without Borders (RWB), an international non-governmental organization dedicated to safeguarding the right to freedom of information.
While endorsing the United Nation’s 2021 World Press Freedom Day theme “Information as a Public Good”, the PPP chairman called for an end to media trials of opposition leaders.
Bilawal pledged that PPP would continue to fight against curbs on free media and would be with the journalist community until the press becomes truly independent and free as in a democratic country.
