OneWorld.net (U.S.)

Journalists in Pakistan have reportedly filed dozens of access to information requests in the past six months as a result of workshops on press freedom organised by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

Since December 2004, PPF has held workshops in seven communities throughout the country to train journalists on press freedom monitoring and free expression advocacy. The goal of the workshops is to establish an effective network of journalists to monitor violations and campaign in defence of free expression. One of the outcomes of the workshops has been a flood of access to information requests that have been filed by participants under Pakistan's Freedom of Information Act.

Funded by UNESCO's International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), the workshops provide journalists with tools for dealing with threats and harassment, and for organising local or national campaigns on freedom of expression. More than 100 journalists have participated in the workshops.

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