• May 7, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

On May 3, journalists’ associations in Pakistan expressed concerns over the country’s deteriorating state of media freedom. The Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) issued statements shedding light on the myriad challenges faced by journalists in Pakistan. AEMEND condemned the increase in attacks on journalists, with many losing […]

• May 6, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication announced the establishment of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in a notification dated April 24. This new body is set to replace the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing, which has now ceased its cybercrime functions. The announcement followed remarks by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who expressed the government’s commitment to “safeguard the […]

• May 4, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

Pakistan has descended two places in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 3. The country now stands at 152 out of 180 nations, marking a decline from its position at 150 in the previous year’s index. The RSF report highlights that the political indicator, one of the five metrics used to compile its rankings, saw […]

• May 2, 2024
• Freedom of Expression, Front Page

Press Freedom and Media Safety in Pakistan   World Press Freedom Day 2024 Over the past year, as its role became increasingly important in a year of key political developments, the media in Pakistan experienced a clampdown with efforts to stifle free speech at all levels and the impact of previous restrictions and reprisal bearing fruit […]

• April 23, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is concerned by threats issued to Roznama Adalat Akhbar’s editor Sherbaz Muneer and journalist Zafar Mughal in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. We urge relevant authorities to ensure that journalists are able to safely do their work without fear of consequences.  According to Mughal, threats follow a news story published in Daily Adalat […]

• April 22, 2024
• Freedom of Expression, Social Media

The federal government, in a bid to uphold the integrity and security of the electoral process, has announced the temporary suspension of cellular services in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan during the by-elections scheduled for April 21 and 22. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) revealed in a statement issued on April 20 that, upon directives from […]

• April 9, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

Murtaza Ali Shah, a reporter for Geo News and The News London, is facing life-threatening intimidation from the Indian state due to his extensive coverage of Khalistan issues, according to the Sikh Federation UK. Dabinderjit Singh, leader of the pro-Khalistan British Sikh organisation, went public with this information during an interview with the Sikh Channel Akaal TV. The Sikh Federation […]

• April 6, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, comprising Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, addressed critical issues related to media freedom, the spread of misinformation, and the harassment of journalists on April 2. The bench had taken up the Press As­­sociation of the Supreme […]

• March 19, 2024
• Freedom of Expression, Social Media

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) welcomes journalist and YouTuber Asad Ali Toor’s release from jail after his bail was approved on March 16. We urge authorities to safeguard the rights of journalists protected under the law instead of harassing them through the issuance of notices, arrests, and investigations. Toor’s arrest on the grounds of an investigation […]

• March 15, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

On March 13, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Faisal Javed Khan was indicted by the District and Sessions Court in Islamabad in a case of threatening a journalist. The indictment follows a complaint filed against Javed Khan at the Bani Gala police station on August 10, 2022.  During a press conference on August 9, 2022, held […]

• March 15, 2024
• Freedom of Expression, Social Media

Human rights activists and civil society organizations have demanded the immediate restoration of X, formerly known as Twitter, in a joint statement. They expressed grave concerns about the escalating occurrences of internet shutdowns and the blocking of social media platforms. The joint statement issued on March 13 highlights the urgent need for the restoration of access to X, emphasizing […]

• March 13, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) welcomes observations by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa that “intimidation of the press would not be tolerated at any costs.” However, PPF is also vary of observations made by the top judge regarding the process of verification that the media should be implementing and the limits of free expression […]

• March 12, 2024
• Broadcasting, Freedom of Expression

On March 12, police issued a ban on media coverage outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where former Prime Minister Imran Khan was meeting with party leaders and workers. The ban, announced by Rawalpindi police, restricts journalists from gathering or covering events outside the jail premises. After the conclusion of the meeting between the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf […]

• March 12, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

In a notable session of the National Assembly on March 3 in Islamabad, the state broadcaster, Pakistan Television (PTV), abruptly halted the live broadcast of a speech by Omar Ayub Khan, a prominent member.  of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-aligned Sunni Ittehad Council.  This occurrence took place right after the newly-elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s address, highlighting a dramatic […]