• March 19, 2024
• Social Media

Despite previous denials and the lack of an official notification, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has acknowledged that the microblogging site X, formerly known as Twitter, has been under an undisclosed ban since before the current government came to power.  During an interview with World Echo News on March 18, Tarar admitted, “Twitter was already banned when we came into government.” This admission […]

• 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 18, 2024
• Social Media

On March 17, Information Minister Atta Ullah Tarar strongly denounced a social media campaign targeting soldiers who were martyred in a terrorist attack in North Waziristan on March 16. Calling the campaign “insulting,” Tarar vowed to bring those responsible to justice. During a press conference in Lahore, Tarar emphasized the immeasurable sacrifices made by the Pakistan Army, police, and civilians in […]

• 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 13, 2024
• General News

On March 12, Attaullah Tarar officially took office as Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Following his oath-taking ceremony at the President’s House, he began his duties at the ministry. A senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Tarar was elected as a member of the National Assembly from Constituency NA-127 in Lahore. He […]

• March 13, 2024
• Obituaries

Amin Butt, a journalist and former President of the Mirpur-Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) press club, passed away on March 12. He had been battling diabetes and heart complications. Butt held positions at various prominent media outlets throughout his career, including Daily Jang, Such TV, and Azad Kashmir Radio Mirpur. The President of AJK Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry expressed condolences, acknowledging […]

• March 12, 2024
• General News

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) released a statement on March 11 emphasizing the importance of media independence while urging a balanced approach to reporting. The PBC condemned threats against journalists and attempts to suppress free speech in Pakistan. PBC Vice Chairman Riazat Ali Sahar and Executive Committee Chairman Farooq Hamid Naek stressed that freedom of expression and […]

• 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 […]

• March 10, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

On March 8, a district and sessions court in Islamabad sent journalist and YouTuber Asad Toor to jail on a 14-day judicial remand. This decision came after the court rejected a request by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for an extension of Toor’s physical custody. The FIA had sought additional time for investigations and to recover electronic […]

• March 10, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

An Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore granted bail to journalist Imran Riaz Khan on March 9, in relation to the Zaman Park attack case. This case has brought him under scrutiny for alleged acts of arson and stone-pelting at police officers during their attempt to execute arrest warrants against the former Prime Minister and the founder of Pakistan […]

• March 9, 2024
• Social Media

Since February 17th, an unannounced ban – either partial or full – on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has severely disrupted Pakistan’s digital landscape. Businesses are losing revenue, journalists face obstacles in their work, and internet users nationwide experience significantly slower speeds. The intermittent blocking of X began following allegations of electoral rigging during the February […]