Senior Pakistani anchor Nasim Zehra off air, reports say

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 2 February 2026 |  JP Staff Report

Nasim Zehra was reportedly taken off air from Channel 24, prompting colleagues to ask who pressured the channel and raising concern about editorial independence and shrinking space for dissent; neither the channel nor authorities have commented.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s shrinking television space for dissenting journalists came under renewed scrutiny this week after senior anchor Nasim Zehra was reportedly taken off air, adding to a growing list of prominent journalists removed from broadcast without formal explanation.

Senior journalist Hamid Mir raised the issue publicly in a post on X, questioning Zehra’s absence from Channel 24 and asking who had pressured the channel to remove her. “Why @NasimZehra never hosted her show on channel 24 today? Why was she missing from the screen? Who forced 24 to ban her?” Mir wrote, adding that if any wrongdoing had occurred, authorities should present a formal charge sheet rather than resort to bans.

Why ⁦@NasimZehra⁩ never hosted her show on channel 24 today?Why was she missing from screen ? Who forced 24 to ban her? If she did anything wrong the concerned authorities must come out with a charge sheet. Banning another senior journalist on TV will not solve any problem. pic.twitter.com/e38Mb2IPZ1

— Hamid Mir حامد میر (@HamidMirPAK) February 1, 2026

Concerns about pressure on mainstream media

Journalist Asad Toor echoed the concern in a separate post, suggesting that Zehra’s reported removal illustrated the extent of control over Pakistan’s television media. He noted that even a channel linked to a sitting federal minister appeared unable to shield a senior journalist from being taken off air, raising broader questions about editorial independence.

🚨🚨
And now @NasimZehra sahiba also off aired? If even federal minister @MohsinnaqviC42’s channel cannot protect its senior journalist/anchor, imagine what is the level of control on Pakistani mainstream media if she is forced to off air? https://t.co/cjWwx62kHc

— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) February 1, 2026

Neither Channel 24 nor the relevant authorities have publicly commented on Zehra’s reported absence at the time of writing.

A recurring pattern of forced removals

Zehra’s case follows a familiar pattern seen in recent years. In January 2025, ARY News anchor Kashif Abbasi was taken off air after a critical remark during his primetime program. The channel described his absence as a leave, but the episode aired on January 21, 2025, became his last appearance on the network. Later, Suno TV pulled popular anchor Habib Akram off air following his political commentary.

Earlier cases underscore the long-standing nature of the issue. In August 2022, prominent journalist Arshad Sharif was abruptly dismissed from ARY News, reportedly for violating internal social media policies. Media reports at the time suggested Sharif’s removal helped facilitate the channel’s return to air after a month-long suspension. Sharif was killed in Kenya two months later.

In May 2021, Geo News took Hamid Mir off air after he criticized the establishment while speaking at a protest in Islamabad supporting journalist Asad Toor, who had been tortured in his home. The suspension marked the second time Mir’s flagship program, Capital Talk, was banned, the first occurring during the military rule of former president Pervez Musharraf.

Pressure to conform or exit

More recently, in October 2024, GNN TV anchor Samina Pasha resigned after what she described as pressure from unnamed actors unhappy with her political analysis. Pasha said she was given a choice to alter her views or step down, and chose to resign to preserve her professional integrity.

Anchor Sami Ibrahim has also remained off television for months. He has publicly stated that he has been effectively blacklisted, claiming that channels were warned they would face consequences similar to those imposed on BOL News if they hired him.

Press freedom under strain

Media watchdogs have repeatedly warned that such incidents reflect a broader deterioration of press freedom in Pakistan. Despite the frequency of off-air removals, formal explanations, written orders, or transparent regulatory actions remain rare, leaving journalists and audiences alike to rely on public statements, social media posts, and indirect accounts to piece together what has happened.

WHY THIS MATTERS: The reported removal of Nasim Zehra highlights the continuing pressure on senior journalists in Pakistan and underscores the precarious environment for editorial independence. For media professionals and organizations, such incidents signal the limits of press freedom, the potential for self-censorship, and the risks faced by journalists who provide critical commentary, affecting both reporting integrity and public access to independent information.

ATTRIBUTION: Reporting based on posts by senior journalists Hamid Mir and Asad Toor

PHOTO: Screenshot taken from a video published on Nasim Zehra’s official YouTube channel.