NGO’s report highlights existential threat to Pakistani media
‘PECA has created a chilling effect across newsrooms and social platforms alike’
STATE OF THE NATION
May 1, 2025
THE Pakistani media industry is going through one of its most perilous phases in history, as news organisations grapple with rising censorship, legal persecution, and growing threats to journalists’ safety and independence. These issues have converged to create what experts are calling an existential crisis for press freedom in the country.
This sobering assessment is drawn from the Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom Report 2025, recently launched by the media rights organisation Freedom Network. The report, which was highlighted in a news article published in Dawn, examines the state of media freedoms in Pakistan between May 2024 and April 2025.
According to the report, a turning point came in January 2025 with amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The revised law has broadened the state’s authority to detain, penalise, and imprison journalists and political critics — both online and offline — creating a chilling effect across newsrooms and social platforms alike.
“The extent of repression we’re seeing now is unprecedented in Pakistan’s media history,” said Iqbal Khattak, Executive Director of Freedom Network. “The space for public interest journalism is rapidly vanishing, and with it, the foundations of democratic accountability.”
Highlights of the report
Five journalists lost their lives during the 12-month period under review: three in Sindh and two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Eighty-two media professionals experienced threats, harassment, or intimidation.
KP ranked as the most dangerous region, with 22 incidents reported. Islamabad saw 20, Punjab 18, Balochistan 4, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir one.
At least 14 journalists were subjected to legal proceedings, most commonly under PECA.
Eight individuals were arrested or detained as part of these cases.
The report, authored by journalist and media analyst Adnan Rehmat, explores a range of challenges undermining journalism in Pakistan — from intensifying censorship and state surveillance to the corrosive effects of disinformation and political polarisation. It also highlights specific threats faced by women journalists, noting that while female participation in media has grown, structural inequalities remain.
“Women are present across all media platforms—print, television, radio, and digital—but continue to be underrepresented and often exposed to gender-specific risks,” the report notes.
Urgent call for reforms
The Freedom Network calls for the launch of a broad-based, nationwide movement to defend freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution. It advocates for:
Collective civic and political action to protect dissenting voices.
A new national charter of digital rights that guarantees the same freedoms online as offline.
Equitable access to the internet and safeguarding of digital expression for all citizens.
Unless immediate and coordinated steps are taken, the report warns, the erosion of press freedom in Pakistan could become irreversible, with grave consequences for public accountability and democratic governance.