• December 17, 2024
• General News

On December 9, five individuals, including a former accounts manager of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) and his son, were arrested after their interim bail was dismissed by the Special Judge of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Court, Hamayoun Dilawar. The FIA initiated the case, accusing the suspects of facilitating unauthorized appointments causing significant financial losses to […]

• December 10, 2024
• General News

On the evening of December 3, two armed neighbors allegedly trespassed into the Lahore residence of Syed Muzammil Shah, an anchorperson for Express News and YouTuber with 444,000 subscribers on his channel “Syed Muzammil Official.” In a statement shared on X, Shah said that the two armed men from a neighbouring house “who seem to have taken an offence over my recent political […]

• December 9, 2024
• General News

Authorities have filed cases against seven individuals in Karachi for allegedly spreading anti-state propaganda and false narratives on social media platforms, including WhatsApp and X (formerly Twitter).  The accused were identified as Muhammad Sohail, Muhammad Junaid, Sheikh Muhammad Ehsan, Tariq Jameel, Syed Rizwan, Muhammad Ahmed, and Babar Azeem. Efforts to apprehend the suspects are underway. This action follows a similar […]

• December 3, 2024
• General News

Journalist Shakir Mehmood Awan, who was allegedly abducted from his home on the night of November 27, returned safely in the early hours of December 1. Awan’s mother had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on November 28, seeking the immediate recovery of her son. Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh presided over the hearing on November 29 and […]

• 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 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 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 23, 2024
• General News

Pakistan’s IT and internet service providers have warned that the government’s recent move to block unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) could have dire consequences for the country’s economy, particularly its IT sector. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced a November 30 deadline for VPN registration, after which unregistered VPNs will no longer function. The Pakistan Software […]