Press freedom in Benazir Bhutto

era 1988-1991
 Introduction
• Benazir Bhutto became 11th prime minister of
Pakistan on December 2, 1998.
• In her first speech, she promised that
 all the press laws curtailing press freedom
would be abolished.
 Freedom of press and protection of basic
human rights would be the priority of the
government
 Job security of working journalists would be
ensured.
• Benazir Bhutto said
“we cannot establish the free society if
the people were afraid to speak truth,
therefore we welcome dissent”.
Violation of government
• Government ignored the promise related
to freedom of press and thoughts
• For Instance
 Incident on eve of international day of
volunteers, Professor Rasheed ch was
subjected to violence.
 Photographer and APP correspondent
ware threatened.
• Punjab government of Nawaz Sharif
curtailed 50% quota of official
advertisements of the Pakistan times and
daily Mashriq.
• Benazir Bhutto centre and Nawaz Sharif
in Punjab their rules of 1988 took every
strict measure for controlling the press.
 Violation of Political parties
• Mutahida Quami movement criticized the
policy of Jang and Dawn related to the
coverage of party.
• Altaf Hussain appealed muhajir
community not to purchase Jang
newspaper.
• Owner of jang had to change their policy
toward MQM
• The workers of IJI, on the eve of by
election in jahanian city looted and
physically tortured four photographers
and two reporters.
Attack on Newspaper offices
and journalists
• Offices of daily Jang Lahore Quetta were
attacked by workers of
MSF, BSF, PSF, APMSO.
• Workers of PMLN warned daily Jang
news Rawalpindi to change policy against
their chief minster of Punjab.
• Three journalists were killed in khair pur
and Larkana.
• On May 31,1990 Rahat Kazi the
correspondent
• On June 2, 1990 Ahmed khan of PPI and
Mutahir Naqvi of Nawa-e-waqt were
assassinated in Larkana.
• On July 3, 1990 Mansoor Khan was died
due to acid attack
Registration of printing press
and publication
• RPPO was introduced by the interim
government, but not put forward for
formal legislation in NA .
• Government had no interest in the affairs
related to legal obligations about Press
laws.
• RPPO was reintroduced in Jan 1989 then
again n 1990.
• This reintroduction , in the light of verdict
of supreme court was illegal and
unconstitutional.
Press freedom in Benazir Bhutto
era in 1993-1996
 Introduction
• Benazir Bhutto took oath of prime minister
on October 19, 1993
• Perception of Benazir Bhutto
• Several murders attempt who took bold
step to unveil the wrong doings of
government officials.
• During her government violence against
press increased manifold.
 Violation
• 1993-96 most deadly years for
journalists
• Attacked on the offices of
newspaper and press clubs
• Ban on official advertisements
• Case of libel against journalists
• Ban on newspaper, cancelation
the declaration of newspaper
• Corrupting the press journalists
Press council in 1995
RPPO in 1995
• A proposal was presented jointly by
the journalists‟ organization and
government to establish a press
council.
• The matters of establishment of press
council were neither pursued by
journalists nor by government.
• Government introduced RPPO
, ignored democratic means of
legislation.
• Due to the punitive
measures, effecting the functional
freedom of press, newspapers didn‟t
express their point of view related to
RPPO.
 Method of official
advertisements
• govt adopted numerous measures of advertisements
control „as a tool to control the economy of press‟.
• For instance
 5% sales tax was imposed on the newspapers.
 Custom duty on news print was raised by 91%
 Relaxation on import duty on printing machinery was
also taken back.
• All autonomous, semi autonomous and government to
get permission from press information
department(PID), before giving advertisement to any
newspaper.
• Only pro government newspapers were rewarded in
shape of official advertisements
Visible and loud protest of
press
• Violence against the journalists increased
manifold and brutalities plus atrocities of
the government were at its peak
• The press took several methods in regard
to register its protest
 Black day was observed on Sep 16, 1995
 Walks, protests march and procession
were initiated against government
 The journalists boycotted on several
occasion the proceeding of provincial and
national assemblies
 The journalists walkout from the official
meeting on umpteen times
 On Sep 21, 1995 four journalists went to
hunger style till death in punnu Aaqil
 Conclusion
• A series of acts of violence, killings
of journalists, threatening
telephone to journalists and
misuse of powers plus brutalities
of police against press
• Hooliganism of pressure
group, during the rule of Benazir
Bhutto proved that, this era was
worst for press than militarism.
 Government of Nawaz Sharif
(1990-93)
• In general election of 1990,IJI won the majority seats
in national assembly.
• Nawaz Sharif became prime minister on November
1990.
• In his first speech as a prime minister he had not
mentioned anything relating to the press, freedom of
press and journalist.
• The journalist and the press had to pay and suffered at
the hands of ethnic groups during the first term of
Nawaz Sharif.
 Attacks Of MQM

• MQM openly threatened several newspapers like

Dawn, Takbeer and Herald star.
• On March 22,1991 the workers of MQM
attacked, ransacked and put and put on fire the office of
Takbeer in Karachi.
• MQM leaders warned every newspaper to change their
policies towards the party and leader or be prepared for
direct consequences.
 Cases of sedition against the news
On publishing of a poem in
the News on September
7,1992,a case of sedition
was filed on September
28,1992.
 Total incidents of harassment in all
provinces in Pakistan
Name of provinces Total incidents of
harassment

Punjab 18
Sindh 57
Baluchistan 3
NWFP 1
TOTAL 79
Methods of corrupting journalist

• The government of Nawaz Sharif through various

tactics such as Lifafa journalist offering
plots, prizes, commission, jobs to the kith and kin and
even by fair or foul means tried its best to corrupt the
individual journalists.
• Nawaz Sharif once said off the record that
‘I want to give plots to journalists but in return the
journalist should protect him and build up his image
among the masses.’
• The journalists and editor’s
organization namely
PFUJ, CPNE and APNS could
not play vital role for protecting
the rights of journalists.

• Nawaz Sharif resigned from

premiership on July 18, 1993.
 The 2nd tenure of Nawaz Sharif
• Mr. Nawaz Sharif became the
one of the most powerful
premier during the 50 years
political history of the country.
• On Feb. 23 in his first speech
after taking oath he didn't
referred specifically any key
notes, comment related to
government media policy and
freedom of press.
• Nawaz Sharif in his 2nd tenure
took every fair and foul means
for crumbling the freedom of
press.
• On march 3, 1997 Nawaz Sharif
expressed his views for solving
the problems of journalist
community. Later on these
promises were never
materialized.
 1997 ‘Year Of Broken Promises’
• After taking the oath of the
premiership, the leader of PML
government allowed the two
ordinance, which would have
achieved the vary purpose to
lapse.
• On January 17 news
photographer of Daily Khabrain
Z.A Shahid was killed in the
result of powerful bomb blast
outside the session court
building in Lahore.
 Court and press: reporter warned
of contempt charges
• Journalist and media
organizations in Pakistan
remain to be the victim of
harassment by law
enforcement agencies, political
and local administration.

• On July 9, a bomb exploded in

the building of daily dawn
Karachi.
• On October 12, the activities of
JUI intimidated and harassed the
editor of the Urdu daily mashriq.
• On October 2, Abdul hafiz
Hameed Azizi and afghan
journalist based in Peshawar was
shoot by two unknown culprits
in a pathetic incidents.
Appointment of journalist and
columnists at key government
position
• Mr. Nawaz Sharif
appointed his speech
writer columnist of
Daily Jung Nazir Naji
as the chairman of
academy of letters
equivalent to grade 22
officer.
• Another columnist Atta ul
Haq Qasmi, another loyal of
Sharif family, was appointed
ambassador in Norway.

• Another journalist Khalil

Malik was appointed as media
adviser on handsome salary in
PTCL.
ROLE OF PRESENT
GOVERNMENT IN FREEDOM
OF PRESS
• THE SHARIF’S emerged as the
winner of general election 2013
and formed their GOVT. in
central Punjab, Baluchistan and
GB.
• Nawaz govt. is trying its level
best to made good relationships
with media organization.
• Geo group Najam sethi first
served as a caretaker CM Punjab
and now as a chairman of PCB.

• Jung columnist Irfan Siddique as

PM’s adviser on national affair
is also leading the govt.
committee for peace dialogue
with Taliban.
• Special committees are
working on new PEMRA
regulations as well as social
media regulations.
Electronic crimes act
• The newly formulated draft of
prevention of electronic crimes
act 2014 purposes some
punishment for cyber crimes.

• The draft law which will be

come act once the parliament
approves it.
• Cyber crime is one of the biggest
security threats all over the
world. Almost all countries
including developing African
countries have already frame this
law.
• Fine and imprisonment are
proposed as penalties for cyber
terrorism.
Conclusion