Below is a joint statement by women journalists and commentators in Pakistan against online abuse and trolling by government officials and Twitter accounts which declare their affiliation to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. #AttacksWontSilenceUs
Last July, Shireen Mazari, the minister for human rights, promised to take notice of threats against journalists and to address the climate of abuse, bullying, fear and censorship.
In what is certainly a well-defined and coordinated campaign, personal details of women journalists and analysts have been made public.
To further discredit, frighten and intimidate us, we are referred to as peddlers of “fake news”, “enemy of the people”. #AttacksWontSilenceUs
We also call upon the Standing Committees on Human Rights of the upper and lower house to take notice and hold the government accountable by ensuring they acknowledge and list the actions they will now take to put an end to the threatening environment. #AttacksWontSilenceUs
The target of online attacks are women with differing viewpoints and those whose reports have been critical of the PTI government, and more specifically its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
When attacks and threats are made against us, we do not enjoy the protection of the law as guaranteed under Article 4, and this is the direct result of the actions of those who hold positions in government and are affiliated with the PTI.
پنجاب حکومت آج پنجاب عوامی آگاہی اور معلومات کے فروغ کا 2025 کا ایکٹ پیش کرنے اور منظور کروانے جا رہی ہے۔
اس ایکٹ کا بنیادی مقصد صحافیوں اور شہریوں کو یہ سوال کرنے سے روکنا ہے جس سے یہ معلوم ہو سکے کہ کس طرح حکومت عوامی فنڈز کو اپنی تشہیر کے لیے استعمال کر رہی ہے۔
تھریڈ:
منظور ہونے کے بعد اس ایکٹ کا اطلاق رواں سال کے بجائے گذشتہ سال جنوری 2024 سے ہوگا، یعنی الیکشن سے قبل موجود نگراں حکومت کے دور سے۔
اس کے تحت پنجاب حکومت "عوامی آگاہی مہمات" چلا سکے گی جس کے لیے وہ کسی بھی تشہیری کمپنی کو استعمال کر سکتی ہے اور کسی بھی پلیٹ فارم پر چلا سکتی ہے جیسے بل بورڈز، ٹی وی، پرنٹ، ریڈیو، ڈیجیٹل اور سنیما۔
Here are just a few examples of senior government officials spreading misinformation—yet, these are the same people who will be 'regulating fake news'.
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Fact-check: Mohsin Naqvi's claim of 30% crime reduction in Punjab found to be false.
A short thread on the recent developments regarding the military-run corporate agricultural farming project: 🧵
Over the past few months, government ministers have repeatedly claimed that the state land being leased to a military-run private company for corporate agricultural farming is barren and will be developed to address Pakistan’s food security challenges.
However, as shown in this fact check, the land being allocated by the Punjab government for corporate farming in Arifwala is fertile, not barren.
A recent tussle in Pakpattan between Punjab govt and farmers over state land being handed over for the army’s corporate farming raises a key question:
How much of the 4.8 million acres earmarked for corporate farming by SIFC is actually “barren”?
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Farmers in Pakpattan are challenging the Punjab govt's transfer of state land to an army-led corporate farming initiative, according to Lahore High Court documents.
Petitioners argue that they and their families have been cultivating the land for the state since 1928.
Yet, in Dec 2023, the caretaker Punjab govt allocated this land to a military-run private company for corporate farming.