ISLAMABAD: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has hailed the government of Pakistan for unanimously passing an act in the Senate regarding the protection of journalists and media professionals.
The IFJ — the world’s largest organisation of journalists, representing over 600,000 members in 142 countries — has expressed hope that the development would help provide a safer and more conducive environment for journalists to work independently.
On July 21, 2025, Pakistan’s senate unanimously passed a comprehensive series of amendments to Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, including a number of changes to better safeguard the security, welfare, and working conditions of media workers.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the IFJ said that explicit protections for the right to privacy and non-disclosure of sources marked a crucial step in maintaining journalistic independence and enabling the media to work free from undue pressure.
“On behalf of the IFJ, we wish to express our appreciation for the passage of the recent amendments to Pakistan’s Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act by the Senate this month. The IFJ, alongside its affiliate union in Pakistan, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), commends your collective efforts towards significantly improved protections for Pakistan’s media community,” the IFJ said.
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The IFJ particularly welcomed the additional clauses that define the establishment of a commission for journalist safety, now equipped with a strong mandate and operational structure to address issues directly and independently.
The IFJ said it hoped the commission would be established swiftly to address pressing issues faced by media workers in Pakistan — including security, welfare, and working conditions.
The letter also highlighted the growing challenges faced by media professionals in Pakistan amid increased political polarisation, large-scale protests, social unrest, and threats of legal persecution and intimidation under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). These developments are a matter of deep concern for both the IFJ and the international journalist community.
The IFJ noted that these concerns come alongside ongoing issues of underpayment, irregular wages, illegal terminations, safety risks, and impunity in crimes against journalists — including seven targeted killings and 27 press freedom violations documented in its *Pakistan Press Freedom Report* between May 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025.
“With this important step towards a robust and free landscape for Pakistan’s media community, we respectfully urge your continued commitment to press freedom and look forward to the swift and effective implementation of the measures outlined in this legislation. Both the IFJ and PFUJ remain dedicated to working collaboratively with the government and media stakeholders to ensure a truly safe and independent environment for all media professionals in Pakistan.”
The IFJ also called for urgent updates to Pakistan’s labour laws to address limitations on collective bargaining and the registration of sectoral unions, and to ensure compliance with International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions concerning the right to organise and bargain collectively.
“These necessary amendments will further enable a safe and secure working environment for the media industry in Pakistan by ensuring all workers have the foundational rights and protections essential for a vibrant and independent press.”