Pakistan is at a defining moment with regard to its legislation on the right to information and journalists’ safety. The South Asian nation is discussing two draft bills, namely the Right to Information Act bill and the Journalists Protection and Welfare Draft bill. These will empower citizens by protecting their right to information and will contribute to enhance journalists’ safety and end the impunity of attacks against them.
“The discussion of the two bills during the World Press Freedom Day has brought a unique opportunity to advance press freedom and access to information in Pakistan. It has made much progress on right to information legislation, but the country is still lacking a specific law regarding journalists’ safety. We are working to help the government and the media sector to make as much progress as possible” explains Ms Rihab Abdalhafiz, UNESCO Communication expert at its Islamabad office, deployed by the Norwegian Refugee Council since February 2016.
One important achievement of UNESCO’s work is to make the UN Plan of Action instrumental for media development organizations to share best practices with the government. “A key focus of our work is helping to raise to the governmental level recommendations made by all actors involved in the process,” Ms Abdalhafiz explained.
Pakistan endorsed the UN Plan of Action for the Journalists’ Safety and the issue of Impunity in 2013. Under the framework of the UN Plan, UNESCO and the Norwegian Refugee Council are supporting the Pakistani government in the consultation processes of the bills by bringing together parliamentarians, journalists, and civil society organizations to share best practices.
“Last May, World Press Freedom Day offered a very timely opportunity to discuss the upscaling to national level of two provincial Right To Information (RTI) laws which adhere to global standards. The event brought together RTI commissioners from Khyber Pakhtukhwa and Punjab, and governmental experts from the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage to share best practices in order to effectively replicate the provincial bill at the federal level. This is a bold step for a stronger and more effective legislation across the nation,” Ms Abdalhafiz said.
With regards to the current journalist’s protection bill, Ms Abdalhafiz considers that a crucial achievement has been for media organizations to feel supported by the UN Plan of Action in their advocacy with the government and in providing guidance to formulate recommendations.
According to Ms Sadaf Khan, Director of Programs of Media Matters for Democracy, a local organization involved in the drafting of the Journalists Protection and Welfare Draft bill, the UN Plan of Action helped different stakeholders rally together by providing them with a common platform and triggering dialogue between them.
“The bill mostly deals with criminal investigation procedures. One of the recommendations to combat impunity that has the potential to make the law unique is to establish a legislative body that can facilitate investigations and create a system that supports journalists under serious threats to relocate to a safer place,” Ms Khan explained.
A forthcoming assessment based on UNESCO’s Journalists’ Safety Indicators in Pakistan by the Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA) indicates that Pakistan does not have any fully effective mechanisms in place in this regard. This includes a lack of specific institutions, programs and budgets for monitoring and reporting violence towards journalists.
“This situation is bound to change if we keep the current momentum for journalists’ safety and right to information. While the legislation process is a governmental issue, UNESCO and its partners’ work to mobilize relevant stakeholders in sharing best practices will enhance and strengthen the bills and keep the momentum going,” Ms Abdalhafiz expressed.
More about UNESCO partnership with NRC
UNESCO has gathered 15 UN agencies and some 40 NGOs together to implement the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. The Plan contributes to the creation of a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, with a view to strengthening peace, democracy and development.
In this context, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has promoted the work of the UN Plan of Action through the deployment of NRC’s expert personnel roster NORCAP. The objective of the seconded experts is to work to ensure a safe environment for journalists by promoting professional standards, disseminating good practices, supporting professional associations in delivering safety training, and by raising awareness about the need for a culture of safety in media and an end to impunity for those who commit crimes against journalists.