KPC President strongly protests against IHC’s decision against journalists
The Karachi Press Club (KPC) has strongly protested against Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision to frame charges against journalists for their coverage of a case pertaining to ex-chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan, Rana Shamim
In a statement, Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili on Thursday said that they strongly protest against the decision of the Islamabad High Court to indict the journalists. “Discharging journalistic duties is not a crime,” he added.
The KPC president said: “As journalists, we are bound by the principles upholding our profession to report on any matter that is in the public interest. Given the robust nature of conversations and debates that followed the publication of the story, it is well established now that the public interest was indeed served in pursuing and publishing the story.”
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The KPC President urged the IHC to reconsider its decision to subject the individuals who brought this story to the public, to the onerous and unnecessary process of vindication through trial. The media industry and journalists in Pakistan are already in crisis, such court decisions will discourage journalists, he added.
“The court’s decision, as it stands, will have a chilling effect on Pakistan’s already beleaguered media industry and discourage journalists from pursuing stories that hold those in power to account,” Jang Group’s Fazil Jamili said.
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“Honourable Justice Athar Minallah, pls review yr decision to charge journalists like @AnsarAAbbasi for contempt. Sir, journalism is not a crime. If I had access to this affidavit, I would have done exactly what Ansar did—do a story after proper verification of its authenticity,” he wrote on Twitter.
Honourable Justice Athar Minallah, pls review yr decision to charge journalists like @AnsarAAbbasi for contempt. Sir, journalism is not a crime. If I had access to this affidavit, I would have done exactly what Ansar did—do a story after proper verification of its authenticity.
— Zaffar Abbas (@abbasz55) December 30, 2021
Framing charges against these journalists for doing their duty is akin to levelling a charge against every journalist employed in the service of the people of Pakistan, he added.
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