Freedom of Expression | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Freedom of Expression

FIA Initiated Legal Action Against YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan Over Anti-Judiciary Campaign

Pakistan Press Foundation

On September 11, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) initiated legal proceedings against YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan for allegedly leading an online smear campaign against the judiciary. The case, filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), invokes Section 20 for privacy violations and charges related to issuing threats and abetment. Ahmad Sadiq Khan, a […]


Imran Khan Denounces KP Chief Minister’s Remarks Against Journalists

Pakistan Press Foundation

On September 12, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), expressed his disapproval of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s inflammatory comments about journalists. During a rally in Islamabad on September 8, Gandapur disparaged the media, which Khan deemed “inappropriate.” While addressing the public rally in Islamabad’s Sangjani area, Gandapur accused journalists of being […]


PPF alarmed by dangerous and disrespectful remarks against journalists by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur; such sweeping allegations undermine safety of journalists

Pakistan Press Foundation

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is alarmed by the disrespectful and dangerous remarks made by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur against journalists, referring to them as “sell-outs” and particularly referring to women journalists. The provincial chief minister made the sweeping allegations before a crowd and directed them to identify and expose such journalists. […]


Panelists Urge Swift Implementation of Journalist Protection Laws at PPF Workshop in Rahim Yar Khan

Pakistan Press Foundation

During a workshop and panel discussion organized by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in Rahim Yar Khan on August 31, participants, including journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists, emphasized the urgent need for stronger enforcement of laws designed to protect media professionals in Pakistan. The discussions focused on the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, […]


FIR Against Six Journalists and Arrest of Senior Journalist Zaffar Mughal in Mirpur Spark Protests

Pakistan Press Foundation

A First Information Report (criminal complaint) has been registered against several journalists in Mirpur, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir,  including Abid Hussain Shah, president of the Kashmir Press Club, along with journalists Zaffar Mughal and Zafeer Bacha from Daily Uraan, Amjad Baig from JK News, and Raja Mushtaq Ahmed.  The FIR, lodged at the New City Police Station under […]


PEMRA’s PTI Coverage Ban Suspended Again, SHC Demands Decision in Six Weeks

Pakistan Press Foundation

On September 3, the Sindh High Court (SHC) directed its single-judge bench to deliver a final verdict within six weeks on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) ban on media coverage of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its leadership. This decision came as a division bench, led by Chief Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and […]


Orya Maqbool Jan Remains in Custody as Court Rejects Bail

Pakistan Press Foundation

On September 3, the Lahore Sessions Court, presided over by Additional District and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Qamar, rejected Orya Maqbool Jan’s post-arrest bail plea. The prominent journalist and anchor person is facing charges of hate speech. The decision came after a hearing in which both sides presented their arguments in the cybercrime case. On September 2, […]


PPF expresses deep concern over prohibition of Quetta Press Club from holding events without district administration approval; the move undermines the independence of the press club

Pakistan Press Foundation

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is deeply concerned by the directive issued to the Quetta Press Club restricting them from allowing any political party or organization to hold a press conference or seminar without prior approval or permission of district administration. This prohibition undermines the press club’s independence and autonomy. The press club must be able […]


PPF Workshop Urges Journalists to Utilize Legal Protections for Safety

Pakistan Press Foundation

The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) held a workshop and seminar at the Hyderabad Press Club on August 21, focusing on the effective use of legal protections available to journalists under the Sindh Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Act 2021. The event, attended by journalists from various media houses, aimed to empower participants with […]


PPF and 59 other international organizations call on the EU to act against Israeli authorities’ ‘unprecedented killings of journalists and other violations of media freedom’

Pakistan Press Foundation joined 59 other international organizations to call on the European Union (EU) to act against the “unprecedented killing of journalists and other violations of media freedom” by Israeli authorities in contravention of Israel’s human rights and international humanitarian law obligations.  “These violations should trigger the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and […]


Media Access Denied at Adiala Jail Hearing in £190m Settlement Case

Pakistan Press Foundation

Journalists were barred from covering the high-profile £190 million settlement case proceedings held at Adiala Jail on August 30. The case involves former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, property tycoon Malik Riaz, and other key figures. The hearing was conducted under tight security and secrecy. Despite the immense public interest in the […]


Senate Committee Approved Amendments to Journalists’ Protection Bill

Pakistan Press Foundation

On August 28, the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, chaired by Senator Syed Ali Zafar, unanimously passed the “Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (Amendment) Bill, 2022,” originally introduced by Senator Saleem Mandviwala. The bill aims to safeguard journalists from violence and arbitrary arrests and includes the establishment of a Commission for the […]


Islamabad High Court Reserves Decision on Petition for Judicial Commission in Arshad Sharif Murder Case

Pakistan Press Foundation

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Aug 27 reserved its decision on a petition seeking the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the murder of prominent journalist Arshad Sharif, who was killed in Kenya in October 2022. The petition, filed by journalist Hamid Mir, has called for an independent and transparent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding […]


Court Declares Multiple FIRs against Arshad Sharif Legally Unjustified

Pakistan Press Foundation

On August 26, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled in response to petitions challenging the registration of multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) against the late journalist Arshad Sharif and other media professionals including Imran Riaz Khan and Sami Ibrahim. In its detailed 36-page judgment authored by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, the court firmly declared that […]