Pakistan Press Foundation documents 137 attacks on journalists in 2025

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last month |  JP Staff Report

Pakistan Press Foundation documented 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, revealing persistent violence, legal harassment, and censorship against media workers amid calls for stronger protections and accountability.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — A total of 137 attacks on journalists and media professionals were documented in Pakistan from January to October 2025, according to a new report by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) released to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. The report paints a grim picture of media freedom and safety, noting that despite constitutional guarantees, freedom of expression continues to be under attack.

PPF urged Pakistan to move beyond symbolic commitments and implement real measures to protect journalists and uphold free expression, both under domestic law and international obligations.

The organization recorded 35 incidents of physical assault, two injuries during reporting, five detentions, two abductions, and four attacks on media property. Legal harassment remained a major concern, with eight arrests and 30 cases registered against journalists, including 22 under the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Authorities also took 23 other legal actions through agencies such as the Federal Investigation Agency and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.

Journalists faced seven direct threats, three threats of legal action, and seven cases of harassment, often targeting families or amplified through political rhetoric. Two journalists were placed on the No-Fly List. Internet shutdowns and restrictions persisted, including six mobile data suspensions, one PEMRA directive, and a court order blocking 27 YouTube channels.

The report detailed violent incidents such as the August assault on Geo News reporter Irfanullah and cameraman Ali Arsalan while covering floods in Faisalabad. Press clubs in Quetta, Badin, and Islamabad were also raided, exposing what PPF called a worrying “disregard for the sanctity of press spaces.”

PPF investigated eight journalist murders this year. While six were unrelated to their work, the cases of Abdul Latif Baloch and Imtiaz Mir remain inconclusive. The report noted that Pakistan has appeared on the Committee to Protect Journalists’ Global Impunity Index every year since 2008, reflecting a chronic failure to hold perpetrators accountable.

The report also highlighted growing digital intimidation, including online threats to senior journalists Asma Shirazi and Munizae Jahangir. UNESCO this year focused on AI-facilitated gender-based violence against women journalists, a trend PPF warned could worsen with the spread of generative AI.

Among key legal developments, journalist Khalid Jamil was arrested in August by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency but was later released after a court found no incriminating evidence. In another case, senior journalist Matiullah Jan faced indictment under anti-terrorism and drug charges carried over from 2024.

PPF criticized a government advertisement that labeled reporters and NGOs as potential “enemies,” saying such rhetoric “sows distrust in the media.” It also expressed alarm over reports of journalists’ bank accounts being frozen and the continued use of legal and regulatory tools to suppress dissenting voices.

Despite some positive steps, such as the restoration of access to X (formerly Twitter) in May, the report concluded that Pakistan’s press remains under siege. It urged the government to fully implement the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Professionals Act 2021, expand provincial safety laws, and ensure that existing protections translate into action.

PPF stressed that Pakistan’s constitution guarantees freedom of expression and that the state is bound under international law to uphold it. “Political leadership must move beyond lip service,” the foundation stated, calling for stronger political will, transparency, and accountability to end impunity for crimes against journalists.

Photo: Representational and AI-generated