Media in Pakistan is under significant pressure, including legal, physical, digital, and financial coercion, as per a recent report by the Pakistan Press Foundation. The report, released ahead of World Press Freedom Day 2026, highlighted 233 incidents targeting journalists between January 2025 and April 2026. These incidents included assaults, criminal complaints, arrests, detentions, and kidnappings.
The Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) has emerged as a major concern, with 34 out of 67 criminal complaints invoking this legislation. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has been issuing notices and summons frequently, particularly after journalists publish critical content, leading to complaints.
Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, human rights lawyers representing journalists in Peca cases, received a 17-year prison sentence under the same law. The report emphasized that legal pressure has compounded the existing physical dangers faced by journalists in Pakistan.
Journalists covering the Aurat March in Islamabad were arrested and detained for nearly eight hours on March 8. Despite existing media safety laws, journalists were asked to surrender their electronic devices during arrests, violating their privacy protections.
The report also highlighted the targeting of women journalists in Pakistan through AI-generated content, aiming to tarnish their reputation through fabricated material. Instances of AI-generated videos of female journalists being circulated online have been documented, with attacks focusing on personal and gendered means to discredit them.
The government’s withholding of official advertisements from leading newspapers like Dawn was seen as an attempt to exert economic pressure. Urdu daily Sahafat faced similar treatment, while media outlets received show-cause notices from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for crossing established boundaries.
A broader pattern of impunity was noted in the report, with the establishment of the federal Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals in November 2025 being seen as a positive step. However, the report emphasized the need for the commission to be adequately resourced and independent to address the challenges faced by journalists effectively.
