Rights groups call for ‘joint struggle against curbs’

KARACHI: Speakers at a seminar on Tuesday called for greater unity among journalists, trade unions and human rights organisations to resist what they described as “growing restrictions on civil liberties, freedom of expression and democratic rights in Pakistan”. The seminar, titled “Press Freedom and Challenging Conditions”, was jointly organised by the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and The Knowledge Forum (TKF) at the Karachi Press Club. Participants said the country’s media environment had become increasingly difficult, with journalists facing threats to their livelihoods, legal restrictions and growing pressure on independent reporting. They also expressed concern over “shrinking civic space and restrictions on political activities and peaceful protests”. The chief guest, former Justice Maqbool Baqar, chairperson of the Sindh Human Rights Commission, said the Constitution of Pakistan guaranteed fundamental rights to every citizen, including freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. He stressed that constitutional rights must be protected and upheld in accordance with the law and democratic principles. Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Asad Iqbal Butt said “press freedom was under threat across the country”. Veteran journalist Husain Naqi alleged that media was being restricted severely. Calling for stronger protection of freedom of expression, he demanded the withdrawal of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), arguing that the law had adversely affected freedom of the press. Senior journalist and academic Dr. Tauseef Ahmed Khan also addressed the gathering and highlighted the importance of protecting press freedom and democratic values. Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas said the country was passing through one of its most difficult periods and warned that restrictions on free expression continued to increase. Referring to the enactment of PECA, Abbas said he had earlier warned government ministers that the law could eventually be used against those who introduced it. He said such legislation had created an environment where freedom of expression was increasingly under pressure. He also expressed disappointment over what he described as the limited role being played by lawyers’ organisations. He said the legal community had played a historic role during the 2007 lawyers’ movement, but it was no longer demonstrating the same level of resistance in defence of constitutional rights. Secretary General of NTUF Nasir Mansoor highlighted labour rights issues and alleged that employers were depriving workers of billions of rupees by failing to pay legally mandated wages. He said many factories and business establishments were not implementing the minimum wage fixed by the government, resulting in widespread exploitation of workers. Senior educationist Dr. Riaz Sheikh said the country was passing through a difficult phase in which democratic space was shrinking. He said civil society activists were increasingly finding it difficult to organise peaceful demonstrations or even hold press conferences inside or outside press clubs. KUJ President Tahir Hassan Khan criticised the functioning of journalists’ protection commissions, saying that though such bodies had been established by the government, yet they were being controlled by the bureaucracy instead of operating independently. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

Read full story on Business Recorder