RMNP rejects amendment to PECA law demands government to consult all stakeholders

Ruling coalition partner PPP will support journalists fraternity demands, law maker Makhdoom Syed Aamir Shah
Pakistani media will not bow down to the government black law, Ehsan Ahmed Sehar
Twenty six members of Ahmedpur Union of Journalists receive RMNP Basic Journalism Training Manuals
Press Freedom organization Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) on Monday rejected an amendment to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and urged the government to take all stakeholders on board before enacting it. A resolution was unanimously adopted in the ” Basic Journalism Training Manuals” distribution ceremony held in local hotel. It was organized by the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) in collaboration with Daily Nawa-I-AhmedpurSharqia and chaired by the President Ehsan Ahmed Sehar while ruling coalition MPA Makhdoom Syed Aamir Ali Shah member Standing Committee for Information, Culture Punjab assembly was guest speaker.
RMNP President Ehsan Ahmed Sehar in his presidential address said that freedom of expression is shrinking in Pakistan, one dozen journalists who were killed in the country during previous year hail from small towns and rural areas, similarly regional press based in far-flung areas of the Punjab province facing financial constraints due to Punjab government policies. Criticizing the PML N led coalition government, he clarified that we were not against regulations, but we will not bow down to government fresh tactics by implementing black laws. RMNP President termed the government fresh move an attack on freedom of expression and demanded of the government to take all stake holders on board before enacting amendments to PECA laws. He himself tabled a resolution in the ceremony so all participants raised their hands condemning the passage of amendment bill in Pakistan national assembly .Mr Ehsan asked the guest speaker ruling coalition government law maker to play his role and submit his request to President Asif Ali Zardari for not putting his signatures for presidential assent on this amended bill.
Guest Speaker Makhdoom Syed Aamir Ali Shah thanked RMNP leadership for inviting him in this informative session of the ceremony. He categorically stated Pakistan Peoples Party believes in the freedom of press, founder former Premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, former slain Premier Ms Benazir Bhutto, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari always stood with journalists when dictators-imposed restrictions on press freedom. He said that democracy cannot be flourished without existence of free media. Makhdoom paid tribute to RMNP for conducting training sessions in far-flung areas of the country and requested its President to organize a training course for his native town journalists’ . Law maker categorically stated that he would raise his voice on all forums of his party and supported the demand of the RMNP to consult journalists’ bodies for making consensus on the approved bill of the PECA law.
Earlier Coordinator RMNP Muhammad Suleman Farooqi, President Ahmedpur Union of Journalists (AUJ) Abdul Hameed Saqib,Senior Vice President Muhammad Nasar Khan Niazi, General Secretary Hameed Ullah Khan Aziz, and Chairman Executive Committee AUJ Imran Lar and others addressed the ceremony .Later on PPP law maker Makhdoom Syed Aamir Ali Shah distributed RMNP Basic Journalism Training Manuals among twenty six members of the Ahmedpur Union of Journalists AhmedpurEast.

RMNP President Ehsan Ahmed Sehar presiding the meeting of Ahmedpur Union of Journalists(AUJ) in which he accepted their request to enroll AUJ as an affiliate of the Rural Media Network Pakistan
Sources: RMNP/Daily Nawa-I-AhmedpurSharqia/AUJ