Please find below links to media freedom news items for Pakistan. These have been organised by publication date.

 

2022

22.12.22 - Pakistan: PPF strongly condemns the attack on “Sada e Watan” Bureau Chief Naseer Ghumman in Sialkot - IFEX

09.12.22 - Pakistan: New report finds Arshad Sharif killing planned, IFJ

05.12.22 - PPF launches guidelines for documenting and confronting impunity for crimes against journalists, IFEX

24.11.22 - Pakistan: Campaign against impunity for Arshad Sharif’s murder, IFJ

24.11.22 - Fact Focus website censored for investigating Pakistan’s army chief, RSF

21.09.22 - Pakistan: PFUJ Secretary General targeted in car accident, IFJ

12.09.22 - Pakistan: PPF condemns the decision of PEMRA to ban the transmission of ‘Bol News’, IFEX

07.09.22 - Pakistan: BOL broadcast suspended across Pakistan, IFJ

01.09.22 - Pakistan: One Journalist shot dead, another investigated in Punjab province, IFJ

30.08.22 - Pakistan: News anchor Jameel Farooqui detained, IFJ

16.08.22 - Pakistan: PPF condemns government decision suspending broadcast of ARY News TV channel, IFEX

10.08.22 - Pakistan: ARY News broadcast suspended across country, executive arrested, IFJ

07.08.22 - Pakistan: PPF condemns actions of police in Rawalpindi that left photojournalist Faisal Khan injured, IFEX

14.07.22 - Pakistani journalist Peer Muhammad Khan Kakar held for 1 week over corruption allegations, CPJ

13.07.22 - Behind Pakistan’s civilian government, army tightens its grip on journalists, RSF

07.07.22 - Pakistani journalists Ayaz Amir and Ahmer Shaheen attacked in separate incidents in Lahore, CPJ

07.07.22 - Pakistani journalist Imran Riaz Khan arrested, CPJ

05.07.22 - Pakistan: Two Pakistani journalists assassinated in two days, IFJ

09.06.2022 - PEMRA’s prohibition of former prime minister’s interview a dangerous step, IFEX

27.05.2022 - Media workers attacked across the nation during political protests, IFJ

23.05.2022 - Authorities register multiple cases against journalists, IFJ

17.05.2022 - Senior journalist allegedly abducted in Lahore, IFJ

10.05.2022 - Senior journalist killed amid rising attacks on media workers, IFJ

10.05.2022 - Inquiry brought against Pakistani journalist under cybercrime act, IFJ

09.05.2022 - Five years of PECA: The law that tried to silence Pakistan, IFEX

03.05.2022 - WPFD 2022 Pakistan | Challenges facing Pakistan’s media, IPI Media

2020

21/12/2020 - Local mafia attack Abb Takk journalists IFJ

10/12/2020 - Journalist assassinated at home in KP province - IFJ

6/11/2020 - Columnist and social media activist arrested- IFJ

27/10/2020 - Journalist returned after suspected abduction - IFJ

26/10/2020 - PEMRA suspends 24NewsHD’s satellite broadcast - IFJ

22/10/2020 - State-owned Radio Pakistan sacks 749 media workers - IFJ

28/9/2020 - Journalist Abid Hussain shot dead - CPJ

24/9/2020 - Three journalists face sedition charges under Cybercrime Law- IFJ

7/9/2020 - Female journalist fatally shot in Balochistan - IFJ

1/9/2020 - Pakistani journalists receive death threats after reporting called ‘fake news’ in TV program - CPJ

9/8/2020 - PEMRA imposes 24NewsHD’s shutdown - IFJ

19/8/2020 - Pakistani government-orchestrated cyber-harassment of women journalists- RSF

12/8/2020 - Investigation: Violence and impunity in Pakistan – no justice for slain woman journalist - RSF

27/7/2020 - Journalist shot dead after reporting on local corruption - IFJ

21/7/2020 - Pakistani journalist and army critic released after being kidnapped in Islamabad - The Guardian

21/7/2020 - Pakistan puts TikTok on 'final notice' over 'obscenity' concerns - Aljazeera

16/7/2020 - Pakistani journalists beaten, detained in Balochistan prison without charge for 2 days - CPJ

12/7/2020 - Media Matters for Democracy condemns suspension of broadcast license of ’24 News’ channel  - IFEX

10/7/2020 - Pakistan: Free Editor; Stop Harassing Family Members - HRW  

1/7/2020 - Lack of internet access hinders online education for Pakistani student- IFEX

27/6/2020 - Pakistan’s new media directive could restrict TV reporting on COVID-19 -  IFEX

29/5/2020 - Uzma Khan: An actress assaulted, a jealous wife and a viral video in Pakistan - BBC

26/5/2020 - Zara Abid: Model presumed dead in Pakistan plane crash abused online - BBC

19/5/2020 - Man who kissed murdered girls in video arrested - BBC

17/5/2020 - Pakistan: teenage girls shot dead by relatives over online footage - The Guardian

11/5/2020 - SC strikes down high court order suspending license of private television channel  - Geo TV

1/5/2020 - Exiled Pakistani journalist found dead in Sweden - The Guardian

23/4/2020 - Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman: Why Pakistan's media mogul is behind bars - DW

8/4/2020 - Journalist acquitted in terrorism case - AA

7/4/2020 - Breaking the news: No level-playing field for private media in Pakistan - Geo

1/4/2020 - An Internet Shutdown Is Keeping Coronavirus Information From Millions in Pakistan - Slate News

30/3/2020 - #FreeMirShakilurRehman: Pakistani politicians, Malala’s father join social media campaign for MSR’s release - Geo

30/3/2020 - Fears grow for Pakistani journalist missing in Sweden  - Aljazeera

20/03/20  Arrest of Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief: Journalists continue countrywide protest  - The News

13/3/20 - Pakistani authorities arrest media mogul on corruption charges - Aljazeera

13/3/20 - Why a media mogul was arrested in Pakistan - BBC News

13/3/20 - Pakistan broadcast regulator cuts distribution of Geo News after CEO’s arrest - CPJ

11/03/2020 - Pakistan: Racism Challenges Media’s Reporting Of Minorities - EurasiaReview

05/03/2020 - Media, lawyers, civil society resolve to resist curbs on freedom of speech - The News Pakistan

04/03/2020 - YouTube Becomes Refuge for Pakistan Journalists Battling Censors - NDTV

24/02/2020 - Pakistan's new internet laws tighten control over social media - Dawn

22/02/2020 - Lawyers to stand by journalists in fight for free media: Kurd - Dawn

17/02/2020- Body of Pakistani Reporter Found Hours After He Went Missing - The New York Times

13/02/2020- Pakistan Moves to Restrict Social Media - VOA News

05/02/2020- Pakistan broadcast regulator proposes sweeping control of internet news programs CPJ

31/01/2020- Pakistan: Media in Pakistan failing to pay salaries with deadly ramifications - IFJ

28/01/2020- Citizens Groups, Journalists’ Body & Others Reject PEMRA’s Draconian Proposed Draft Regulations On Web TV & Other Allied Attempts -DRF

20/ 01/2020 - CPNE gives grim scenario of press freedom in Pakistan - CPNE

04/01/2020 - A disturbing crackdown on press freedom’: Pakistan arbitrarily blocking Slate.com - Global Voices 

01/01/2020 - Facebook allegedly blocks Pakistani state-run radio - Turkish Press 

2019

12/12/2019 - Protests against a media house in Pakistan mount - Global Voices 

10/12/2019 - Opinion: The decline of media freedom in Pakistan - A journalist tells his story - DW

06/12/2019 - Dawn's Islamabad bureau besieged by protesters for the second time this week - Dawn

04/12/2019 - Pakistan newspaper besieged by Islamists calling for editor to be hanged over London Bridge coverage - Independent 

27/11/2019 - Another day, another freedom curbed: How Pakistan is shutting down voices in the media - Scroll in

26/11/2019 - Pakistan: Press Under Stress – Analysis - Eurasia Review 

22/11/2019 - Editor Dawn Zaffar Abbas receives CPJ's Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award - Dawn

22/11/2019 - Focus on PSM | Pakistan - Public Media Alliance 

14/11/2019 - Pakistani media community to set guidelines, protocols for journalists' safety - Geo TV

11/11/2019 - Srinagar Media Facilitation Centre: Now, Freelancers, Web Journalists Not Allowed - The Wire 

05/11/2019 - Pakistan among countries where internet ‘not free’: report - Tribune 

05/11/2019 - 'Extreme fear and self-censorship': media freedom under threat in Pakistan - The Guardian 

18/10/2019 - Pakistan denies entry to Committee to Protect Journalists official - Reuters 

17/10/2019 - Senate human rights panel to take up media censorship issue tomorrow - Dawn

05/10/2019 - Media unity - Dawn

18/09/2019 - Cabinet approves plan to form ‘media courts’ - Dawn 

29/07/2019 - Pakistani Government Criticized for Shutting Down Journalists - OCCRP

29/07/2019 - Lack of diverse media ownership leads to censorship in Pakistan says new report - Global Voices

28/07/2019 - Pakistan censorship: 'Hovering above the mute button' - BBC

25/07/2019 - Government plans to set up media courts, says PM’s aide - Dawn

18/07/2019 - Media Ownership Monitor: Pakistan a high-risk country in terms of media pluralism - Reporters Without Borders

17/07/2019 - Journalists: ‘We are almost extinct’ - Pakistan Today

15/07/2019 - Cyril Almeida: Pakistan faces ‘worst censorship in a generation’ - International Press Institute

09/07/2019 - TV news channels blocked in Pakistan after airing opposition speeches - CPJ

05/07/2019 - Pakistan: Network forced to pull interview with ex-president - IFJ

04/07/2019 - 'ArrestAntiPakjournalists' tops Twitter trends in Pakistan - Dawn

29/06/2019 - Rights Groups Demand Pakistan Release Journalist - VoA

24/04/2019 - Pakistan’s Cyril Almeida named 71st IPI Press Freedom Hero - International Press Institute

18/04/2019 - Airing Indian channels: Pemra chairman warns of action against cable operators - International The News 

17/04/2019 - Pakistan extends bail for journalist accused of 'cyberterrorism' - AlJazeera 

10/04/2019 - Pakistan: Fatwa puts journalists in serious danger - IFJ 

09/04/2019 - Vague laws and lack of transparency pose major threats to digital rights in Pakistan - DW

08/04/2019 - Proposed media regulator provokes strong criticism in Pakistan - CPJ 

28/03/2019 - Pakistan investigates journalists for online campaign to 'disrespect' Saudi Crown Prince with Khashoggi pictures - Daily Telegraph

20/03/2019- Satire offers new ground for silenced Pakistani journalists - Reuters

01/04/2019 - Pakistani government monitoring journalists’ social media activity - IFJ

26/02/2019 - Fawad insists on one regulatory authority for all media - Dawn 

13/02/2019 - Pakistan announces crackdown on social media misuse - The News 

09/02/2019 - Pakistani journalist critical of government seized outside home - Reuters

07/02/2019 - Facebook starts labeling political ads in India as election looms - CNN 

27/01/2019 - Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority to have disastrous impact: APNS - The International News

25/01/2019 -Cabinet approves merger of all media regulatory bodies - Dawn

18/01/2019 - President advises media to stop relying on govt for advertisement - Dawn

17/01/2019 - Pakistan: Uphold Rights to Speech, Dissent Protect Minorities, Women, Journalists - Human Rights Watch

2018

20/12/2018 - The Pakistan government’s financial squeeze on journalism - Columbia Journalism Review 

18/12/2018 - Over two thousand journalists jobless after newspapers shut in Pakistan - IFJ

02/12/2018 - Media facing extreme suffocation: CPNE - Dawn

01/12/2018 - Pakistan seeks Facebook's cooperation to counter hate speech, boost e-commerce - Geo TV

18/11/2018 - Pakistan No 1 in Facebook content censorship - The International News

09/11/2018 - Pakistan: Dozens of armed police raid Karachi Press Club - Reporters Without Borders

01/11/2018 - PML-N rejects proposed media authority  - Dawn

16/10/2018 -Why are Pakistanis unable to connect with the digital rights movement? - Open Internet for Democracy

09/10/2018  - In Pakistan's once-vibrant media, some journalists view intimidation as the new normal - Reuters

09/10/2018 - Media bodies endorse PFUJ demands - The Intrernational News 

05/10/2018 - Treason Trial for Pakistani Journalist Signals New Pressure on Media - NY Times

01/10/2018 - Govt launches 'Fake News Buster' account to expose false reports - Dawn

27/09/2018 - Pakistan: Journalists should not be harassed or intimidated through criminal justice system - Amnesty International 

26/09/2018 - Pakistan court issues arrest warrant for journalist amid press crackdown - CNNPakistan Court Orders Arrest of Journalist in Treason Case

24/09/2018 - Pakistan Court Orders Arrest of Journalist in Treason Case - Bloomberg

12/09/2018 - Pakistan military 'quietly' stifling press with intimidation - Al Jazeera

12/09/2018 - Acts of Intimidation: In Pakistan, journalists' fear and censorship grow even as fatal violence declines - Committee to Protect Journalists

28/08/2018 - PPP moves Pemra against TV channels for ‘misreporting - The  News

25/08/2018- Lifting of censorship on state media step towards press freedom: IPI  - Dawn

23/08/2018 - Pakistan’s state broadcaster ends ban on covering opposition leaders - Hindustan Times

01/08/2018 - The death of objective journalism, freedom of expression in Pakistan - Asia Times

27/07/2018 - Pakistan Elections: How the country's judiciary and military gagged media and influenced public opinion - First Post

26/07/2018 - Silence from Judiciary Increases Self-Censorship, Pakistan’s Journalists say- Interpress

23/07/2018 - Curbs on freedom of expression in Pakistan continues: HRCP - The Nation

12/07/2018 - Protest held across country to show solidarity with Dawn - Dawn

12/07/2018 - Media in Pakistan facing clampdown ahead of elections - Public Media Alliance

11/07/2018 - How pressuring the media is risking the quality of our democracy  - Dawn

06/07/2018 - Black flags fly atop press clubs as freedom drive launched - Dawn

04/07/2018 - The assault on Pakistan media ahead of vote - BBC News

29/06/2018 - Pakistani media gripped by fears of military ahead of General Elections as criticism of establishment could risk abducion, torture - First Post

22/06/2018 - PFUJ urges CJP, PM to look into media coercion - Dawn

19/06/2018 - IPI condemns intimidation of news organisations - Dawn

14/06/2018 - Alarming crackdown ahead of elections - Amnesty

13/06/2018 - Dawn becomes the latest victim of Pakistan army's crackdown on media - The Print

10/06/2018 - Journalist Asad Kharal says attacked over Model Town, corruption cases info - The Express Tribune

07/06/2018 - Attack, abduction threaten journalists' safety in Pakistan - IFJ

04/06/2018 - The cost of extreme media censorship - A view from Pakistan - The Wire

03/06/2018 - Jang, Geo stopped from coverage of garrison varsity ceremony - The News Pakistan

28/05/2018 - The hard limits of Pakistan's media freedom - The Diplomat

02/05/2018 - Pakistan's war against the media - The Interpreter

23/04/2018 - Shutdown of Pakistani TV network hints at army's bid for control - The Guardian

11/04/2018 - RSF calls for end to Geo TV's illegal suspension - Reporters Without Borders

07/04/2018 - Geo TV blocked across Pakistan [updated] - Public Media Alliance

06/04/2018 - Top Pakistani news channel is forced off air, and eyes are on the military - New York Times

02/04/2018 - PEMRA orders restoration of all Geo TV channels within 24 hours - Geo TV

02/02/2018 - New report takes a hard look at digital (in)security of journalists in Pakistan - IFEX

24/01/2018 - Pakistan shuts down radio station over content - IFJ

18/01/2018 - Escalating Limits on Association, Speech - Human Rights Watch

11/01/2018 - 'The new normal' in Pakistan: a journalist on the run from gunmen - New York Times