DawnNews anchor skips PTI mention after egg thrown at Aleema Khan

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 5 September 2025 |  JP Staff Report

An egg was thrown at Aleema Khan, sister of Imran Khan, during a recent incident. The media's choice to omit PTI's name has sparked discussions on censorship and press freedom in Pakistan.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — An egg attack on Aleema Khan, sister of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, made headlines Friday, but it was a DawnNews anchor omitting PTI’s name in the report that sparked fresh debate over media censorship in Pakistan.

While covering the episode, a DawnNews TV anchor drew attention by carefully avoiding mention of Imran Khan or his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Instead, she referred to Aleema Khan simply as “baani ki bahan” (“the founder’s sister”), omitting the party affiliation altogether.

The anchor repeated this phrasing when reporting the incident again, choosing not to identify PTI by name.

For nearly two years, much of Pakistan’s mainstream electronic media has avoided mentioning PTI’s founder directly. However, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has denied issuing any such restrictions. In November 2024, PEMRA told the Lahore High Court that no directive or notification had been issued prohibiting broadcasters from using Imran Khan’s name.

The silence of television anchors on PTI’s founder continues to spark debate about press freedom, editorial choices, and political sensitivities in Pakistan’s media landscape.