LAHORE – Senior journalist and Chief Editor of Daily Pakistan Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami slammed notice issued to seasoned journalist and anchorperson Najam Wali Khan by National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), calling the action illegal amid pressure on journalists through misuse of cybercrime laws.
A statement issued by Lahore Press Club after Najam Wali Khan appeared before NCCIA office in response to the notice. Khan was accompanied by number of journalists, including senior columnist and analyst Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Salman Ghani, and Farukh Shahbaz Warraich, in a show of solidarity.
In a strong-worded statement issued by Lahore Press Club, President Arshad Ansari, Senior Vice President Salman Qureshi, Vice Presidents Nasira Ateeq and Madiha Almas, General Secretary Afzal Talib, Joint Secretary Imran Sheikh, Finance Secretary Salik Nawaz, and members of the governing body condemned the NCCIA’s decision to issue a notice to Najam Wali Khan and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami said Najam Wali Khan is the editor of a newspaper, and newspapers fall under the jurisdiction of the Pakistan Press Council, not the NCCIA. He further argued that Najam Wali Khan did not make Taufiq Butt’s column go viral on social media, making the notice issued against him unlawful.
Shami questioned the legality of previous notice served by NCCIA to columnist Taufiq Butt, saying the agency failed to name any individual in that notice, which, according to him, also rendered it legally questionable. Expressing serious concern over the situation, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari said dozens of journalists have already been booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), alleging that notices are being sent to journalists arbitrarily whenever authorities choose to do so.
He said such actions amount to an attack on press freedom and freedom of expression, adding that journalists across Pakistan are already protesting what they describe as the “black law” of PECA, while the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) is pursuing a legal battle against the legislation in court.
Arshad Ansari warned that the journalist community would not be intimidated by notices or what he called unjust cases. He added that if such actions continue, journalists from across Pakistan would intensify their nationwide protest movement.
Lahore Press Club officials reiterated demand for immediate withdrawal of the notice issued to Najam Wali Khan, describing it as an unjustified action against a senior journalist.
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