CPJ urges Pakistan to stop targeting journalist Nadir Baloch

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 28 January 2026 |  JP Staff Report

CPJ condemned repeated summonses of journalist Nadir Abbas Baloch by Pakistan's National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, urging authorities to stop harassment and intimidation. It urged protection for journalists and an end to threats tied to his reporting.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities must end their intimidation of journalist Nadir Abbas Baloch and ensure his safety following multiple threats against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. The press freedom organization said Baloch has been summoned twice for questioning in the past month over his reporting, raising concerns about the use of state agencies to pressure journalists.

According to CPJ, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency summoned Baloch on December 12 for allegedly publishing “derogatory remarks,” citing a notice reviewed by the organization and the journalist’s account. After Baloch did not appear at the agency’s Lahore office, the NCCIA issued a second summons on January 7.

CPJ calls for an end to harassment

“Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency must halt its harassment of Nadir Abbas Baloch and allow him to continue his work,” said CPJ Asia-Pacific Director Beh Lih Yi. She said Pakistani officials should protect journalists’ ability to report freely, including safeguarding them from threats and online harassment, rather than intimidating those who expose alleged wrongdoing.

Baloch, who runs a YouTube channel focused on human rights reporting, told CPJ that he believes the summons is linked to his coverage of human rights issues and the alleged misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. His reporting has included accounts from individuals who claim a group used blasphemy accusations to extort money from victims.

Details of the complaint and official response

The summons names Muhammad Hassan Muavie as the complainant, according to CPJ, though it does not specify which content was considered objectionable. Muavie’s brother, Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, serves as chairperson of the Pakistan Ulema Council.

Baloch said he had formally written to the NCCIA, stating that he would not comply with the summons until he was provided with specific details of the allegations against him. He said he had sought clarity on the material in question before appearing for any interrogation.

In addition to the summons, Baloch told CPJ that he has faced threats and online harassment. He said his car was vandalized outside his home in Rawalpindi on May 30, 2025, and that he was followed by an unmarked vehicle on December 4 while returning from the Islamabad High Court, where he had been covering a case involving human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari.

On the same day, a former spokesperson for Islamabad’s Lal Masjid labeled Baloch on X as a “supporter of rebels against the Finality of Prophethood,” according to Baloch and a copy of the post reviewed by CPJ. The allegation is widely viewed as dangerous in Pakistan because such accusations can incite violence by associating individuals with the persecuted Ahmadi religious community. The post was later deleted.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, NCCIA Director Syed Khurram Ali, and Muavie did not respond to CPJ’s requests for comment via text message and email.

WHY THIS MATTERS: The case highlights how cybercrime and defamation mechanisms can be used to exert pressure on journalists covering sensitive topics in Pakistan. For newsrooms and independent reporters, it underscores the legal and personal risks associated with human rights reporting and the need for clear procedural safeguards. It also reflects broader concerns about source protection, digital safety, and state accountability in media regulation.

ATTRIBUTION: This report is based on statements issued by the Committee to Protect Journalists, a summons reviewed by CPJ, and information provided by journalist Nadir Abbas Baloch.

PHOTO: Screenshot from YouTube; image distributed by the Committee to Protect Journalists