Pakistan Faces Sharp Decline in Media Freedoms Amid Legal Pressures

Pakistan’s free press space contracted significantly over the past year, according to Freedom Network’s latest annual report on media freedoms. Titled “Regulatory Repression of Freedom of Expression – Legal Controls and PECA Undermine Media and Journalism in Pakistan”, the report highlights draconian amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) as the most consequential tool for restricting journalists and free speech practitioners.

The amended PECA law, enacted in 2025, has increasingly been used to criminalize lawful expression, target dissenters, and intimidate journalists, lawyers, and political commentators. Freedom Network released the report on World Press Freedom Day, observed globally and in Pakistan every year on May 3rd.

Executive Director of Freedom Network, Iqbal Khattak, stated that the weaponization of PECA has created a climate of fear where journalists are compelled to self-censor to avoid legal repercussions. This represents one of the most serious threats to media freedom in Pakistan today.

The report notes high-profile convictions of human rights lawyers, including Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, as examples of how custodial sentences deter dissent. Dozens of journalists have faced charges under expanded PECA provisions, while defamation suits, regulatory suspensions, and internet shutdowns further constrain independent journalism.

Pakistan’s broader legal framework also contributes to these challenges. Although Right to Information laws exist, their implementation is inconsistent, with federal institutions particularly resistant to disclosure. The persistence of secrecy through outdated laws continues to weaken transparency and accountability.

The report notes that state-led efforts to counter disinformation and hate-speech are often accompanied by increased surveillance and selective enforcement. Regulatory bodies monitoring online content, coupled with vague definitions of “fabricated news,” blur the line between misinformation and legitimate dissent.

During the May 2025 India-Pakistan brief war, doctored visuals and recycled footage distorted public understanding of events. In terms of journalist safety, at least 129 verified incidents of violations occurred during the review period, ranging from April-2025 to March-2026. Legal threats and physical violence accounted for nearly two-thirds of these cases.

Among these violations were two murders, five cases of threats to murder, 58 legal cases (mostly PECA-invoked), 16 cases of assault, 11 cases of threats to harm, and two cases of kidnapping and enforced disappearance. Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa emerged as the most dangerous regions for journalists, while murders in Sindh and Balochistan underscored persistent risks.

State authorities were suspected as leading perpetrators, responsible for over 60 per cent of violations, primarily through legal and custodial actions. Non-state actors, including militant groups and criminal networks, also contributed to threats, assaults, and killings.

The detention of three female journalists in Islamabad seeking to cover the Aurat March in March 2026 highlighted the gendered dimension of these risks. Journalists across Pakistan faced economic pressures, including delayed salaries, job insecurity, and reliance on government advertising, which further undermined editorial independence.

Women journalists remained particularly marginalized within the media sector, facing harassment, online abuse, and workplace discrimination. Cases involving deepfake abuse and detentions illustrated these challenges persistently.

Despite these constraints, some progress was noted, including leadership initiatives and the appointment of Ambreen Jan as the first female head of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra). The report also examined the evolving role of technology in Pakistani journalism, noting limited adoption due to infrastructural and linguistic barriers but concerns around misinformation and lack of oversight persisting.

The report concludes that these developments have significantly narrowed the space for free expression in Pakistan. It emphasizes urgent reforms, including revisiting restrictive PECA provisions, strengthening journalist safety laws, ensuring transparency through effective RTI enforcement, providing legal and institutional support to journalists, and promoting ethical use of emerging technologies. Without such measures, the report warns, Pakistan’s media will remain trapped in a cycle of coercion, censorship, and economic fragility, with serious implications for democratic accountability and freedom of expression.