LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has emphasized the need to curb fake news but warned the government against using the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) as a cover to advance its malicious agenda.
Talking to a delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) led by its President Kazim Khan, he stressed that freedom of expression must be safeguarded at all costs. He announced that the JI would fully support journalist community in their struggle against the PECA law.
“Jamaat-e-Islami will participate in all journalist-led activities against the PECA Act.”
The CPNE delegation included Secretary General Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Senior Vice President Ayaz Khan, Deputy Secretary Tanveer Shaukat, Chairman Media Freedom Committee Irshad Arif, former Secretary General Ijazul Haq, and Punjab Joint Secretary Waqas Tariq. JI Secretary General Ameerul Azeem and Information Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Turabi were also present at the meeting.
Rehman stated that while the nation is currently unified and motivated following Pakistan’s recent victory against India, laws like PECA would only breed unrest and disunity. He urged the government to immediately withdraw PECA and initiate broad-based consultations to draft new legislation through national consensus.
Praising the role of Pakistani media during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, he said, “Our media displayed professionalism and responsibility, unlike the Indian media which became a global laughingstock.”
Kazim Khan and other CPNE delegates remarked that prior to the conflict, campaigns were being run against Pakistani media accusing it of irresponsibility and undermining national security. However, after the war, government and military spokespersons publicly acknowledged that Pakistani media acted with remarkable responsibility. Even the DG ISPR expressed gratitude to the media for its role.
The JI leader also raised the issue of timely and fair salary payments to media workers, to which Kazim Khan agreed and assured that CPNE would include this demand in its official agenda.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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