Freedom of expression being stifled: Farhatullah

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Secretary General Farhatullah Babar on Saturday said that freedom of expression is being stifled through various means.

Some brandish guns and some others wield contempt law and dissent and as a result free expression is stifled, he said, while addressing a seminar on Media & Democracy organised by the National Institute of Cultural Studies (NICS) at Lok Virsa in Islamabad on Saturday.

Farhatullah Babar said media and talk shows promoted intolerance because the society itself had become intolerant and jehadi narrative seemed to prevail.

Identifying factors influencing the role of media, he said corporatisation of media houses, the erosion of distinction between professional editors and owners, weak culture of resistance journalism and the security establishment’s deep inroads in media industry were some factors that hampered right to information and free expression.

He urged young journalists to take ownership and develop culture of resistance journalism and proposed the setting up of a parliamentary committee on freedom of expression.

Farhatullah Babar said countering the militants’ jehadi narrative was not easy. It will take time and require persistent respect to militant organisations. “Intellectual infrastructure to counter militant narrative will not be built in garrisons, but in universities, colleges and academic institutions where there is free discussion and room for dissent,” he said.

Senator Musaddiq Malik, Rubina Khalid, senior journalist Ziauddin, Haris Khaliq and others also addressed the seminar.