Pakistan’s Senate approves landmark Amendment to journalist protection Bill
PICTURE: Pakistan’s Senate (Facebook)
International Federation of Journalists
Pakistan’s Senate has unanimously passed a comprehensive series of amendments to the country’s Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, including a number of changes to better safeguard the security, welfare and working conditions of media workers.
The IFJ and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), welcome the amendments and commend the effort to towards improved protections for Pakistan’s embattled media community.
The Act came into immediate effect from 21 July after moving through Pakistan’s legislature, and is designed to empower media workers to resolve issues directly through the establishment of an independent commission. The commission’s mandate will extend to the protection of journalists’ collaborators, immediate family, property, media organisations and affiliated movements, and allow issues including salaries, health and security to be addressed without involving the courts or authorities.
Under the Amendment Bill, which revises the original Act passed in 2021, attacks and violence against media workers now carry a penalty of up to seven years imprisonment or a fine of PKR 300,000 (about R19 284,50), or both, with obstruction of a journalist’s work carrying a maximum of five years imprisonment or a PKR 100,000 (about R6 430,53) fine
The right to privacy and non-disclosure of sources are also protected, with the legislation working to maintain journalistic independence and the right of the media community to work free from undue pressure by any person, group, organisation or government body.
Under the act, the commission will not have the authority to inquire into actions by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies without evidence of a clear human rights violation, in which case a complaint will be sent to the relevant authority.
Pakistan People’s Party Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, who introduced the Bill, said that the legislation is designed to ’empower journalists’ as a ‘facilitative’ law, and is open to further amendments if improvements are needed.
The amendments come after years of advocacy and consultation by the PFUJ and IFJ, who welcomed the initial Bill in 2021, but noted concerns with some of its provisions which may have imposed further state control.
The IFJ’s South Asia Press Freedom Report 2024-25 documented systematic attacks on freedom of expression and worsening conditions for journalists in Pakistan, with oppressive laws such as the 2024 Punjab Defamation Act and amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in January 2025, widely condemned for enshrining censorship and working to erode press freedom.
The PFUJ said: ‘[We welcome] these amendments in line with the assurance of freedom of the press and journalists as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.’
‘PFUJ and IFJ have been campaigning for legislation to ensure the protection of the working journalists, and this Act contains legislative articles to protect the rights of media professionals against any assault from any individual, organisation, or department, aside from intelligence agencies’
The IFJ said: ‘[We welcome] the amendments to Pakistan’s journalist protection Act as a positive and urgently needed step in safeguarding a media community plagued by harassment, intimidation and violence as they work to hold truth to power.’
‘While challenges remain, this legislation offers renewed hope for a safer environment for journalists to report freely and without fear.
‘IFJ calls on Pakistan’s government to maintain its commitment to press freedom and swiftly introduce the independent commission, ensuring it remains free from external interference.’
- This article was first published here
