ISLAMABAD: To protect journalists and media professionals, the Senate has adopted an amendment bill that will impose severe penalties on those who attack or coerce them.
Senator Saleem Mandviwalla’s bill defines freedom of expression as the ability to publish and disseminate information.
The new law imposes jail time and financial fines for journalists who use violence against them or try to coerce them into disclosing their sources.
The maximum penalty for assault while on duty is seven years in prison and a fine of Rs 300,000. Coercion to reveal sources can result in a fine of Rs100,000 and a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
A high court judge or an individual will serve as the chair of the commission created by the bill to safeguard journalists.
