Laws to protect journalists remain a pipe dream.

Byline: Waseem Ahmad Shah

While International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists was observed on Nov 2, so far no law has been enacted at federal and provincial level in line with the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

Through a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on Dec 18, 2013, it was decided to observe Nov 2 every year as International day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.

The said resolution urged member states to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers, to ensure accountability through the conduct of impartial, speedy and effective investigations into all alleged violence against journalists and media workers falling within their jurisdiction and to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice and ensure that victims have access to appropriate remedies.

The resolution also called upon member states to promote enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without undue interference, including means of legislative measures.

The UN Plan of Action was endorsed by the UN Chief Executive Board on April 12, 2012. Subsequently, Unesco and UN Office of the High Commission on Human Rights (UNHCHR) started a consultation process on way to strengthen the Plan of Action in March 2017. A consultation outcome document about how to strengthen the implementation of the UN Plan of Action was released on Aug 16, 2017.

The said document also called upon the member states to ensure safety of journalists through gender-sensitive laws, policies and practices aimed at their protection, accountability for violations against them, and enable related aspects such as securing confidentiality of journalistic sources, and respecting journalist' freedom of movement.

While the international day is observed in the country every year the offences against journalists continue with impunity. No law has been enacted by the federal and provincial governments for ensuring journalists' safety and in cases of violence against media persons the law enforcing agencies have to depend on the existing penal of laws including Pakistan Penal Code.

Only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including former Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) at least 35 journalists have been killed in last over a decade. These journalists were killed in the line of duty during different acts of terrorism, especially suicide bombings by terrorists.

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