Islamabad, Oct 3 Several human rights organisations and advocacy groups slammed the Pakistani government for running a smear campaign against the country’s media and non-governmental organisations( NGOs), calling the act “deeply irresponsible.”
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, along with several other advocacy groups and rights bodies of the country including Women's Action Forum – Lahore, Shirkat Gah (Women’s Research Centre), South Asia Partnership-Pakistan, Simorgh a non-government feminist activist organisation and the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) strongly condemned the recent advertisement sponsored by the Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that depicts journalists, NGO workers and 'freelance' researchers as potential instruments of ‘enemy propaganda.’
“Framing civil society actors and independent media as part of an information war is deeply irresponsible and undermines the very freedoms that sustain a democratic society. Independent journalists and NGOs in Pakistan already operate under highly restrictive conditions: frequent harassment, onerous registration and reporting requirements, arbitrary scrutiny of funding, and a climate of suspicion fostered by vague security narratives,” read a joint statement issued by the group.
“Portraying their work as a threat to national security further endangers individuals committed to protecting rights and informing the public. Such narratives have been used to justify surveillance, intimidation, and even physical attacks on journalists and human rights defenders,” the statement added.
The statement emphasised that urging citizens to report ‘suspicious’ NGO workers or reporters without any legal safeguards risks legitimising arbitrary targeting, harassment, and censorship.
Additionally, it said, framing digital technologies largely as a "means of entrapment" aimed at sowing ‘unrest, fear and chaos’ will compound the chilling effect on freedom of expression already instituted by the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and its amendments, among other laws in Pakistan.
“It will also discourage independent reporting and obstruct the vital humanitarian and rights-based services that many organizations provide,” the group stated.
The group called on the Pakistani government to withdraw its campaign immediately, refrain from conflating legitimate civil society work with hostile activity, and prioritise an enabling environment where journalists and human rights organisations can function safely and independently across the country.
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