Manan Mandokhail:
Quetta: The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) and Quetta Press Club staged a joint protest on Tuesday evening, denouncing the Pakistan Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, commonly referred to as the PECA Amendment Bill.
Journalists and civil society members gathered outside the Quetta Press Club, chanting slogans against the federal coalition government and the controversial bill, terming it an attack on freedom of expression and democracy.
Khaliq Rind, the President of Quetta Press Club, strongly criticized the federal government for passing the PECA Amendment Bill. This law is an assault on press freedom and the democratic values of Pakistan. The journalist community will resist its implementation with full force, he declared.
Saleem Shahid, a senior journalist, also expressed his opposition to the bill. The PECA Amendment Bill curtails the fundamental right to freedom of speech. I urge all political parties to stand united against this undemocratic move by the federal government,†he stated.
The protesters vowed to continue their struggle against the implementation of the PICA Amendment Bill, emphasizing its detrimental impact on democracy, media independence, and freedom of expression in Pakistan.
Members of labor associations and civil society also joined the demonstration, expressing solidarity with the journalist community in their fight to uphold press freedom in the country.
This protest highlights the growing resistance against the federal government’s attempt to stifle dissent and restrict media freedoms under the guise of electronic crime amendments.
