Islamabad : The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) held an awareness-raising session to discuss the legal framework addressing the rights of media workers—including both journalists and non-journalists— working in the electronic and digital media industry.
The session also highlighted the urgency in updating this legal framework in view of recent technological developments and sought to initiate a dialogue among media workers and their representative bodies to chart the way forward towards a more robust rights framework for the sector.
The session had representation from various key stakeholders. Notably in attendance were the secretary-general of Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) Tariq Ali Virk, the president of the Pakistan Federation of Journalists (PFUJ) Afzal Butt, the chairman of the All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC) Siddique Anzar, the vice-president of the National Press Club Myra Imran, member of the Women Journalists Association of Pakistan (WJAP) Fozia Kalsoom Rana and the country-director for the Pakistan of International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) Ghulam Mustafa.
The session was led and moderated by advocate Aftab Alam, the executive director of the Institute of Research Advocacy and Development (IRADA). The participants were informed that multiple indicators – such as the number of workers in various media platforms, the number of media channels and advertisement spending across media platforms – reflect a massive shrinkage in print media, with greater space being taken by broadcast, electronic and digital media.
Afzal Butt of PFUJ pointed out that one significant reason for the shrinkage of the media industry, which also entails lay-offs of workers, was the crackdown of the NAB on advertisement agencies.