In late October 2026, senior journalists, representatives of elected press unions from across Pakistan’s provinces and regions, political figures and civil society members gathered in Lahore for a roundtable discussion. The meeting, moderated by senior journalist Munizae Jahangir and presided over by veteran journalist Nasir Zaidi, produced a concrete outcome: the formation of a dedicated committee to protect freedom of expression.
Participants described a media landscape under sustained pressure from censorship, the frequent use of cybercrime laws against reporters, online harassment, physical threats in restive areas, and a severe economic crisis that has left many journalists unpaid or unemployed. They agreed that only a broad-based alliance, anchored by strong journalists’ unions, could push back effectively and expand civic space.
The new committee will be headed by Nasir Zaidi. Its members include Arshad Ansari, secretary general of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ); Saleem Shahid; Tahir Hassan Khan; Qamar Bhatti; and Munizae Jahangir. Its mandate is to consult stakeholders, systematically document restrictions on free speech, and develop a charter of demands after wide consultations with journalists and other groups.
Growing Use of Legal Tools Against Journalists
Prominent anchorperson Hamid Mir told the gathering that accounts from the provinces reflected longstanding restrictions, but stressed that the role of political parties in introducing and passing restrictive legislation needed proper documentation. He cited roughly 500 cases registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), including about 35 against journalists, though he noted these figures require independent verification. Mir also referred to a proposed bill regulating social media use by children under 16 that would penalise parents for their children’s violations. He called for a white paper examining restrictions on expression and the political responsibility for them.
Veteran journalist Mujeebur Rehman Shami argued that Pakistan’s problem was less the absence of laws than the failure to implement existing ones effectively. He proposed a comprehensive analysis of relevant legislation, its enforcement and its impact on free speech.
These concerns align with broader patterns documented by media watchdogs. A recent Freedom Network Impunity Report 2026, titled ‘From Violence to Lawfare: Process as Punishment for Journalists,’ found that while physical attacks had declined in some periods, legal harassment – often through PECA and related proceedings – had become a primary tool of pressure. Cases frequently involve prolonged investigations, detentions and court processes that function as punishment even without convictions.
Regional Voices Highlight Security and Economic Crises
Journalists from Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan painted a consistent picture of insecurity and precarity.
In Balochistan, senior journalist Saleem Shahid described threats from non-state actors, political parties and religious groups, alongside growing self-censorship. He noted pressure over reporting on Afghan refugees and a drastic reduction in provincial reporting teams by television channels, leaving many journalists jobless with inadequate government relief. Similar challenges in Balochistan have been detailed in earlier reporting on the near-collapse of independent journalism in the province.
Nasir Hussain, vice president of the PFUJ Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, said more than 30 journalists had been killed in the province since 9/11, with the Peshawar Press Club itself targeted in a terrorist attack. He reported that 22 journalists faced threats in 2025 and that around 60 per cent of journalists in the province had lost their jobs amid the industry’s financial crisis. A proposed provincial law imposing imprisonment and heavy fines for speaking against the assembly speaker was withdrawn only after protests.
In Sindh, Karachi Union of Journalists President Tahir Hasan observed that self-censorship had become the norm, though Sindhi-language media retained somewhat greater freedom. Political divisions, he said, had weakened journalists’ organisations.
Arif Wahab reported that journalists in Azad Jammu and Kashmir worked in an atmosphere of fear, with concerns about arrests and a prolonged internet disruption lasting more than three months that severely hampered reporting. Even after internet restoration, speeds remained slow and some areas remained effectively off-limits.
Self-Censorship, Media Ownership and Women’s Safety Online
Najam Sethi argued that political parties were not strong supporters of freedom of expression and that journalism had been damaged by self-censorship imposed both by individual reporters and by media owners focused on institutional survival. He called for sustained, united protest.
Absar Alam, a senior journalist and former chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), said meaningful improvement would remain elusive until politicians and media owners jointly decided that free expression was desirable.
Asma Shirazi highlighted the particular vulnerability of women journalists to online trolling and harassment, which is often dismissed as minor yet drives many women off social media platforms. She warned that continued silence from media bodies on this issue risked excluding women from online public discourse altogether.
Arifa Noor emphasised the urgent need to document abuses against journalists and instances of censorship, noting a serious lack of systematic records.
Government Response and Calls for Accountability
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar attended and defended the need for updated cybercrime legislation. He argued that traditional media already had codes of ethics and PEMRA mechanisms, including journalist representation on complaints councils, whereas social media lacked comparable tools to address threats, harassment and blackmail. He maintained that regulation was necessary to counter terrorists and radical elements online and pointed to similar frameworks in Western countries. Tarar said the Journalists Protection Commission was now operational and urged media organisations to submit written concerns so that implementation could be improved through better coordination.
Farhatullah Babar, a former senator and human rights activist, urged the new alliance to engage political parties directly with a structured account of restrictions and clear demands. He noted the incomplete membership of the Journalists Protection Commission and called for safeguards on personal data and a legal framework governing surveillance.
Arshad Ansari of the PFUJ stressed that unions, rather than press clubs, bore primary responsibility for defending professional and economic rights. He expressed concern over the lack of accountability for the murders of 51 journalists, the unresolved court challenge to PECA, and the 2025 amendments to the law. Ansari warned that expanding cybercrime enforcement powers without safeguards risked greater impunity and called for coordinated agitation, including a protest camp in Islamabad open to wider society.
A Charter of Demands
Concluding the roundtable, Nasir Zaidi confirmed the agreement to form the committee. Participants stressed that a broad-based alliance supported by strong journalists’ unions was essential to protect independent journalism and expand the space for free expression.
The initiative comes against a backdrop of repeated international concern. Pakistan’s ranking on global press freedom indices has remained low, and rights organisations have repeatedly highlighted the chilling effect of cybercrime laws, surveillance practices and economic precarity on reporting.
(Courtesy owsa.in)
