Karachi JAC Announces Black Day in Protest Against Locking of Quetta Press Club, Demands Action Against Authorities
Imran
Karachi JAC Announces Black
Day in Protest Against Locking of Quetta Press Club, Demands Action Against
Authorities
The Joint Action Committee
(JAC) of the Karachi Press Club strongly condemned the district
administration's action of locking the Quetta Press Club on Monday, announcing
Tuesday as a black day to express solidarity with the journalists of Quetta.
The JAC has decided to
hoist a black flag on the Karachi Press Club. The JAC resolved that the
district administration of Quetta had no right to intervene in the affairs of
the press club. It was deemed a transgression and an action against the freedom
of the press, violating the constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech.
The journalist leadership
said that the sanctity of the Quetta Press Club had been violated and that
action should be taken against those responsible for the incident. They believe
this is an attack on the freedom of the press and Article 19 of the Constitution.
Comprising the Karachi
Press Club, PFUJ, and KUJ, the JAC also deliberated over the amendments to PECA
laws by the federal government and amendments to defamation law by the Punjab
government, demanding both governments immediately retract the amendments to
these laws.
The JAC emphasized that any
law should be introduced only after the consultation and consent of the
stakeholders. They noted that while defamation laws can be improved and
strictly implemented, criminalizing it is clearly aimed at targeting freedom of
the press and speech under the guise of combating fake news, which will be
resisted.
Chaired by President Saeed
Sarbazi, the meeting was briefed by Convener Joint Action Committee and
Secretary Karachi Press Club, Shoaib Ahmed, who informed the meeting about
recent incidents, including the locking of Quetta Press Club and amendments to
the law.
The meeting was attended by
President PFUJ GM Jamali, Secretary General PFUJ Dastoor AH Khanzada, Vice
President PFUJ Khurshid Abbasi, Senior Journalist and former Secretary Mazhar
Abbas, President KUJ Tahir Hassan Khan, General Secretary KUJ Naimat Khan,
President PAP Jameel Ahmed, Joint Secretary Karachi Press Club Muhammad Munsif,
and member governing body Noor Muhammad.
