A few weeks ago, Zee Media interviewed AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Citing ‘objectionable content’ in the interview, Zee published only excerpts of the interview on 24 May. AAP-ruled Panjab govt. insisted the whole interview must be aired. When Zee Media refused, the Panjab govt. threatened them with the withdrawal of state advertisements which is a big source of revenue. On 3 Jun, Essel Group – which owns Zee Media – Chairman Subhash Chandra held a press conference in Delhi where he rued India’s declining position on global indices – 159/180 on Freedom of Press. It is ironic that Zee Media, which has for a decade unabashedly supported the right-wing Indian govt., is now speaking against censorship in Panjab, where for months hundreds of media accounts and citizen journalists have been censored. Meanwhile in West Panjab, Pakistan, Panjab Governor Malik Ahmad Khan signed the controversial Punjab Defamation Bill after which the provincial govt. issued a gazette notification amid concerns over press freedom. Earlier in the day, the Lahore High Court Registrar’s Office removed the objection raised against the law, declaring the petition admissible. Journalists in Panjab, Pakistan are objecting to the new law saying the law’s definitions of ‘journalist’ and ‘newspaper’ were vague, irrational, and ambiguous. According to the petition, the law provides initiation of defamation claims without any proof, which is a clear violation of Article 10-A (fair trial) of the Constitution. On 1 Jun, global press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on Pakistan’s new federal and provincial authorities to address ‘an alarming deterioration in press freedom’ over recent months (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 13 Story 6).
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