• November 30, 2024
• General News

The Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) and Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) have condemned the violence targeting journalists and media houses during protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad. PCP Chairman M. Arshad Khan Jadoon termed the attacks on journalists and media houses a violation of press freedom and journalistic integrity. “No one will be allowed to intimidate or harm media […]

• November 30, 2024
• General News

The Punjab Information Department and the Ravi Urban Development Authority (Ruda) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to transfer land for the allotment of residential plots to 3,200 journalists in Lahore, an initiative announced by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The MoU was signed by Secretary Information Syed Tahir Raza Hamdani and Ruda CEO Imran […]

• November 29, 2024
• General News

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has asked the Interior Ministry to extend the November 30 deadline for the registration of Virtual Private Network (VPN), citing concerns by stakeholders on the complexity of the registration process. The nationwide ban on unregistered VPNs is set to begin December 1. PTA sources reported that over 200 VPNs are […]

• November 29, 2024
• General News

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a cybersecurity advisory highlighting a critical vulnerability in the WP Tools plugin for WordPress, urging immediate action from users and administrators. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-43453, impacts version 3.41 of the plugin and allows remote attackers to bypass access controls due to an authorization flaw, posing serious security risks. The […]

• November 28, 2024
• Freedom of Expression, Media Safety

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) strongly condemns the brazen manner in which senior journalist Matiullah Jan was initially said to be picked up and later found charged on bizarre terrorism and narcotics charges. We call for his immediate release. PPF emphasizes the need for a transparent and conclusive investigation particularly in light of recent coverage by […]

• November 27, 2024
• Freedom of Expression, Front Page, General News, Media and Society, Media Safety

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is alarmed by the multiple incidents of violence targeted against journalists and media outlets in Islamabad during protests by the opposition political party, the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI). It is unacceptable that journalists and the media, who are tasked with covering key events, become the target of violence during periods […]

• November 27, 2024
• Access to Information

Internet services were partially restored in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on November 27, after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ended its protest in the federal capital. The services had been suspended for two days on the Interior Ministry’s orders in response to the demonstrations. Users have reported glitches in social media applications as services resume. From November 23 to […]

• November 26, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

A meeting of journalists discussing media safety and press freedom in Punjab’s Seraiki belt was abruptly ended by the district administration on November 21. The incident was reported in a press release by the Freedom Network, an independent media rights organization. The meeting, attended by journalists from Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, and Layyah, was disrupted by Tehsildar [sub-district […]

• November 26, 2024
• General News

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned two journalists, Farhan Gauhar Mallick, owner of Raftar, and Adeel Habib, owner of Siyasat.pk, over allegations of running an “anti-state campaign” on social media. Farhan Gauhar Mallick, a Karachi-based journalist and owner of the digital media platform Raftar, received a notice from the FIA Cyber Crime Circle in Islamabad on November 14. The […]

• November 26, 2024
• General News

The recent unrest in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has so far claimed the lives of 73 individuals, resulted in the death of one journalist and an attack on the home of another. On November 21, Janan Hussain, General Secretary of the Parachinar Press Club and a correspondent for News 365, was amongst those killed in a brutal ambush on a convoy of […]

• November 26, 2024
• Access to Information, Freedom of Expression, General News, Information Technology

Since November 23, citizens in different parts of Pakistan have been experiencing disruptions in internet access and access to social media platforms. While the government had announced possible closures in specific “high-risk areas” ahead of protests by the opposition political party, the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI), the sporadic, widespread, and unexplained service disruptions extend […]

• November 26, 2024
• General News

Salahuddin Achakzai, the Chief Editor of Daily Itla-e-Aam, was killed during a jirga in Chaman’s Spain Bund area on November 24. The incident occurred during a reconciliation meeting between Achakzai and Faqir Muhammad Shamkzai. Tensions escalated, leading to an exchange of gunfire that resulted in Achakzai’s immediate death. Two of his associates sustained serious injuries and were transported […]

• November 26, 2024
• Social Media

Citizens across the country faced widespread social media outages and disruptions to internet services. The outages, which began late November 23, have affected major platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Downdetector, a global outage-tracking platform, reported a peak of 207 complaints within an hour, with users primarily struggling to send media through WhatsApp. The disruptions were […]

• November 26, 2024
• Broadcasting

On November 22, the Sindh High Court (SHC) set aside the directives of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) that prohibited the broadcasting of tickers related to court proceedings. The court declared these directives were “unlawful” and inconsistent with the PEMRA Ordinance 2002, citing overreach by the authority’s chairman without the requisite consultation with the Council of Complaints. […]