A new annual report from the Freedom Network, cited by Voicepk.net ahead of World Press Freedom Day (May 3), says Pakistan’s media landscape has entered a systemic crisis. The study, titled “Regulatory Repression of Freedom of Expression,” covers mid-2025 to early 2026 and concludes that attacks on independent journalism are no longer isolated incidents but part of an institutional pattern of restriction.
The report highlights the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), passed in 2016 to address cybercrime, as a central tool in the clampdown. Vague provisions on “fake news” and “offensive content” have been increasingly applied against journalists, activists, lawyers and political commentators, producing a widespread chilling effect. The report cites high-profile convictions — including human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha for social media remarks — as examples of how PECA is used to criminalise expression.
By October 2025, at least 30 journalists faced 36 legal proceedings under PECA, and official figures recorded 187 cases related to amended “fake news” provisions. Freedom Network verified 129 violations against journalists during the review period. Nearly half of the documented incidents involved legal intimidation — arrests, prosecutions and detentions — while physical assaults, threats and violence made up a substantial portion. More than 60 percent of violations were attributed to state authorities, primarily through legal and custodial measures, with militant groups, criminal networks and political actors also posing threats.
Regionally, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounted for almost two-thirds of reported violations. The report warns that lower numbers from Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan likely reflect underreporting caused by security constraints and limited documentation capacity.
Digital and technological controls have ramped up: television channels have faced sudden suspensions, online content and multiple YouTube channels have been blocked or targeted, and internet shutdowns have curtailed access to information — notably a 16-day blackout in Balochistan in August 2025. Economic pressures have further weakened media independence, with delayed salaries, mass layoffs, local bureau closures and growing reliance on government advertising; selective state advertising, the report says, operates as an indirect lever over editorial decisions.
Women journalists are highlighted as especially vulnerable, facing workplace discrimination, online harassment, deepfake attacks and legal intimidation. Female representation in news content has reportedly fallen to around four percent. Although Right to Information laws exist, weak implementation, bureaucratic resistance and secrecy laws continue to undermine transparency and accountability.
The Freedom Network calls for urgent reforms: revise PECA to prevent misuse, strengthen legal protections for journalists, enforce RTI provisions effectively, and adopt balanced digital regulation. Without such measures, the report warns, Pakistan risks entrenching censorship and institutional fragility that could severely damage its democratic future.
