ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday submitted a resolution to the National Assembly Secretariat, seeking to disapprove the controversial ordinance promulgated by the government last month putting curbs on media freedom by amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016.

The resolution was submitted by Marriyum Aurangzeb, the PML-N information secretary, in line with the directives of party president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

The resolution, a copy of which was released to the media by the party, has been submitted under Rule 170(2) of the Rules and Procedures for the Conduct of Rule 170(2) under the title “Resolution for disapproval of ordinances” reads as “a member may move a resolution for disapproval of an ordinance after giving three clear days’ notice of his/her intention to do so.”

Talking to Dawn, Ms Aurangzeb said the opposition members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting had also decided to requisition a meeting of the committee to take up the controversial Peca Ordinance.

CPNE conference denounces anti-media law

Responding to a question, she said the party was in the process of requisitioning the National Assembly session as well so that they could take the government to task over the controversial Peca Ordinance and other presidential ordinances promulgated last month.

Rule 170(3) states that “where more notices than one under sub-rule (2) are given in respect of the same ordinance, the resolutions shall be taken up on the private members’ day in the order in which their notices have been received”.

Meanwhile, speakers at a conference convened by the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) on Thursday were unanimous in condemning the Peca Ordinance and other laws aimed at gagging the media.

The CPNE unveiled a report on the state of media freedom at the “roundtable conference”, according to a press release.

The speakers said civil society, journalist bodies, human rights organisations and the lawyers’ fraternity were determined to struggle against the government’s “designs to muzzle free speech” through different means.

On Feb 26, the Islamabad High Court had dismissed the petitions filed by the PML-N and PPP against the Peca Ordinance that criminalised defamation and made it a non-bailable offence with five-year imprisonment, suggesting that the political parties should utilise the forum of parliament to settle their disputes and flex their muscles within either house of parliament to counter the controversial amendments to cybercrime laws, instead of moving the court.

In a detailed order, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had observed that “political parties have an important role under Article 89 of the Constitution and an effective remedy has been provided thereunder”. Justice Minallah had observed that the PML-N and PPP could contest the ordinance within parliament since they had a significant representation there. The court order pointed out that either house of parliament is empowered to disapprove the ordinance through a resolution.

After his meeting with a delegation of the representatives of journalists and media bodies in Lahore on Feb 28, Shehbaz Sharif had announced that his party would table a resolution in parliament to demand the controversial amendment ordinance be repealed.

He had also disclosed a plan of the opposition to requisition the National Assembly session for this purpose. He said that they had decided to seek requisitioning of the parliamentary session to repeal the “black law against the media” and had instructed his party leaders to take practical steps in this regard.

Mr Shehbaz had assured the delegation that the PML-N would repeal the “dark, authoritarian and anti-media laws that violate constitutional freedoms of freedom of expression and access to information” once it came to power again. He called the government’s move a manifestation of authoritarian, fascist and undemocratic thinking and pledged to challenge all black laws on every legal forum and block their way.

Mr Sharif remarked that if the government did not have malicious intentions, the draft amendments would have been debated in parliament and the “backdoor of ordinance” not used. “The PTI government wants to shut the eyes, tongues and ears of the media to cover up its worst and historic failures on every front. The PML-N will not allow this to happen,” he had vowed.

The delegation included leaders of the Pakistan Broadcasters Association, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors and All Pakistan Newspapers Society.

In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had defended the amendments to Peca, dismissing the criticism that it was being used to curb media freedom.

The journalists’ representative bodies across the country had observed ‘black day’ on the call of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Feb 28 against the Peca ordinance.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2022