Pakistan Reader

CWA # 1302
Pakistan Reader
Pakistan and Freedom of Expression: Eight Takeaways from the Freedom Network Report

Dhriti Mukherjee
7 May 2024
Photo Source: womeninjournalism.org

On 3 May, the Freedom Network released its annual Pakistan Freedom of Expression and Media Report 2024, titled ‘Erosion of free speech: The silencing of citizens, political parties and media.’ The 54-page report divided into nine chapters provided an “annual trend analysis of the state of freedom of expression and media rights and freedoms in Pakistan,” looking at the “socio-political-legal and media industry related factors and developments impacting on exercise of Article 19 (freedom of expression) by the public and by media and its practitioners.” 

The latest report notes a “reduced tolerance for online dissent, shutting down mobile networks on election day, throttling of internet access, forced suspension of a social media platforms, and a raft of attacks and harassment of journalists and bloggers.” A pattern of crackdowns mixed with major failures of state actors characterized the year, although there were also small victories in defending freedom of expression and media freedoms. 

The following are eight major takeaways from the report.

1. A deteriorating state of health of the media industry 
As of the end of April 2023, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued licenses for 140 native TV channels, 35 foreign TV channels, 26 IPTV companies, 175 native commercial FM stations, and 60 non-commercial FM stations. However, the turmoil facing the industry continued in the form of “wage reductions, job cuts, sluggish technological advancements, and shrinking advertising budgets from both governmental
and corporate entities.” 

This crisis has been exacerbated due to the “mounting advertising debts” owed to the media industries; in August 2023, the government acceded to a 35 per cent increase in government advertisement rates for print media. Job losses were another issue, and the report cited data from a survey conducted by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in 2023 in Sindh, as per which 40 per cent of journalists were employed, and 40 per cent held fix-term contracts. The biggest worries for them included “overdue wage payments, excessive workloads and inadequate compensation.” Nonetheless, there was a victory in the form of the rise of an “ecosystem of independent community news media start-ups.” 

The largest such group is the Digital Media Alliance of Pakistan (DigiMAP), with a membership of over 50 news platforms by April 2024. Six of its member published at least 60 new stories on the rights of marginalized communities in 2023, covering topics of forced conversions, persecution, and cultural achievements. Separately, digital media outlet Damaan TV in remote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) doubled its audience and received international recognition.

2. Increasing presence of legal restrictions and censorship
The report pointed out that there was a “notable escalation in efforts by the previous parliament (whose tenure ended in August 2023) to restrict free speech and intensify digital surveillance,” a trend which “worried journalists.” A combination of “hastily approved legislations” and collusions between the government and security establishment led to a suppression of dissent, harassment of critical journalists, and a manipulation of information. Pakistan is one of the top ten digitalized societies with regard to internet and social media access, but state requests of content takedowns show the growth of “socio-political polarization and military- political wrangling.” The report took examples of the Pakistani cyberspace, the E-Safety Bill, and the Personal Data Protection Bill, as measures that were presented as protective steps but in reality, gave the government power to heavily filter content. During the 8 February elections, cellular and mobile internet services were shut down in the name of security concerns; however on 6 March, the Pakistan 

Telecommunication Authority (PTA) admitted that the federal government had ordered the suspension. The PTA also admitted in April 2024 that it had blocked over 1.25 million URLs for having “indecent, immoral, and unlawful” content. Between May 2023 to April 2024, the internet was shut down several times. The government’s decision to block X for more than a month after the elections is not the only cause of concern; in May 2023, the parliament approved the Contempt of Parliament Bill 2023, allowing lawmakers to charge civilians with contempt. In August 2023, the Official Secrets (Amendment) Act, 2023, was approved after a “parliamentary uproar compelled the government to retract a contentious provision.” There was a continuation in “unexplained media and digital censorship,” with state-owned media platforms censoring speeches by the opposition.

3. Disinformation is a growing concern
As per the report, Pakistan’s media remained “awash in a tide of misinformation and targeting disinformation,” partly due to the political narratives in the lead up to elections. Freedom Network and the IMF-supported Coalition Against Disinformation (CAD) surveyed 1043 students across ten universities to understand how the youth deals with disinformation. The findings showed that 63 per cent came across disinformation online every day, 81 per cent believed social media contributed to disinformation the most, 62 per cent agreed that this threatens the country’s democracy, and seven out of every ten acknowledged the importance of fact-checking tools. 

In 2024, innovative organizations enforced fact-checking mechanisms in the run-up to elections. For instance, the Centre for Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) unveiled iVerify, a non-partisan fact-checking initiative, while Media Matters for Democracy launched Factor, a fact-checking body for newsrooms. CAD’s Amber Rahim Shamsi worked with UNDP Pakistan to develop iVerify, and media outlet Dawn would regularly publish these fact checks. UNDP Pakistan also held academic consultations focused on “the potential needs, challenges, and recommendations for developing and implementing university-level courses on digital citizenship.” 

Academics indicated a willingness to implement courses, collaborate across departments, and share existing resources for “effective pedagogical responses to disinformation.” Disinformation had a financial impact too, and as per digital freedom advocates at Netblocks, the economic impact of X’s unwarranted shutdown was worth USD 50 million. 

4. An unsafe environment for journalists and media practitioners
Freedom Network documented 104 cases of violations, including murder, attacks, and kidnappings, against journalists and media practitioners across Pakistan from May 2023 to March 2024. Sindh was the riskiest with 33 per cent of the violations, Islamabad had 26 per cent cases, KP had 23 per cent, Punjab had 12 per cent, Balochistan had four per cent, and Pakistan occupied Kashmir and two per cent. TV journalists were targeted the most with at least 59 victims, print media had 35, digital media had nine and radio had one. Along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan in KP, there was an uptick in terrorist activities, and the tribal districts of the area have faced major discontent which impacted journalists in the area. 

According to a report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the “alleged mismanagement of development resources, resurgence of militancy in the region, delayed repatriation of displaced persons, curbs on fundamental freedoms, incidences of enforced disappearances and the widespread disillusionment and trauma” impacted the region. Another report by IMS partner Freedom Network found that media practitioners in all eight districts “suffer from trauma related to observation of coverage of human rights violations,” worsened by a “gradual erosion of formal media institutions in the region.” Support measures suggested by the report included timely salary payment to journalists, easing official restrictions on freedom of expression, and media literacy trainings for government officials. 

In Sindh, between January 2018 and December 2023, two journalists were killed every year. In another report by the Freedom Network titled ‘Journalism in peril: growing crimes against journalists undermining media freedoms in Sindh,’ the “presence of powerful threat actors, coupled with poor service structure, and little effective proactive protection mechanisms at the government level in Sindh” were found to be “contributing majorly to a deep-rooted impunity for crimes against journalists in the province.” Despite a commission being established to combat crimes against the media industry in 2022, a lack of office, staff, and budget resulted in a failed performance. Since no perpetrator has been held accountable for their crimes, there has been an “environment of 100 per cent impunity.” On top of that, rural journalists do not apply safety protocols or share threats with their peers. To combat this, the report suggested capacity building of journalists, safer working conditions, and adoption of holistic safety approaches. 

5. Increasing steps taken towards unionization and assistance programmes
The report highlighted how journalists in Pakistan work in “hazardous conditions without health or life insurance cover from their employers.” In June 2024, the government announced it would allocate PKR one billion for the health insurance of working journalists, which is expected to benefit 20,000 journalists. Freedom Network and the Reporters Without Borders launched an assistance programme for Afghan journalists exiled to Pakistan after the Taliban took over, providing “financial, medical, legal and humanitarian assistance to over 50 exiled Afghan journalists and their families.” 

The Network used advocacy to engage government authorities and UN organizations to hold dialogues with the exiled journalists, and plans to help Afghan journalists “reintegrate into journalism institutions in Pakistan.” So far, focus group discussions with Afghan media start-ups have been held to obtain insights into their needs and challenges. In August 2023, the IFJ helped DigiMAP mobilize support for unionizing digital journalists, and in October 2023, the IFJ and the PFUJ launched union leadership trainings for mid-career union members in Islamabad, Punjab, and Sindh. These trainings addressed wage issues, low awareness of labour laws, and exclusion of certain journalists. 

6. The media industry continued to be an “unfriendly space for women”
Women make up for a “miniscule quantum of practicing journalists” and media practitioners, and media content thus suffers from gross under-representation of views of genders other than men. The discrimination is present in terms of representation, content, and workspace treatment. As per the Cyber Harassment Helpline Report released by the Digital Rights Foundation in 2024, there was a “disconcerting uptick in technology-facilitated gender-based violence.” There were 2,473 cases of online harassment in 2023, with 59 per cent cases filed by women and transgender. 70 per cent of the reports came from Punjab, followed by Sindh with 11 per cent and KP with five per cent. Virtual campaigns targeting women journalists, online abuse and defamation faced by women were prevalent. An absence of gender-sensitive policies in newsrooms highlighted a “a pressing gender emergency for the already fragile media industry.” 

According to Freedom Network, out of 15 media organizations, women accounted for 11 per cent of the total journalism staffers, three organizations paid female employees lower wages, and at least 11 were found to be gender blind. Women journalists often were victims of harassment, intimidation, and trolling. The report highlighted two advocacy campaigns that were aimed at gaining support for gender inclusivity. The ‘Include women in media’ campaign “launched a series of digital advocacy messages calling for urgent actions by stakeholders to address the lack of gender diversity in Pakistani journalism and news content.” 

The ‘Pakistan’s media needs women’ campaign was “aimed at mobilizing improved representation of women in media seeking enforcement of labour laws, gender sensitization of newsrooms and more women in media leadership positions.” 

7. A notable shift towards using new technologies in media
The February 2024 elections marked the first time Artificial Intelligence (AI) was employed by a political party- PTI’s Imran Khan used an audio clone to rally support for his party through a four-minute video. Khan sent a shorthand script which was dubbed into an audio, which went on to draw 500,000 views on YouTube alone. Later in January 2024, the PTI accused the caretaker government of shutting down the internet to sabotage its online campaign. The report highlighted the importance of DigiMAP in promoting “solidarity among Pakistani digital media to strengthen public interest journalism.” DigiMAP’s concern for the “rights and interests of digital media and digital journalists bring it in league with the trade unions and journalist associations that consistently demand rights, fair wages and safety guarantees for media professionals.” 

8. Sufficient compliance with international obligations
In 2021, through the passage of the Sindh Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Act, and the federal Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, Pakistan emerged as a “global leader in journalism safety.” It also mandated the government’s action to address impunity for crimes against professions practicing free speech. Despite this, there has been a notable lack of interest in the implementation of acts by both federal and provincial governments. Failure to establish an independent commission to investigate complaints filed by journalists remains a critical gap in federal mechanisms to protect journalists. The European Union (EU) has also questioned the “continued pervasiveness of
42 Pakistan Freedom of Expression and Media Report 2024 impunity of crimes against restrictions on freedom of expression and enforced disappearances of civilians, including journalists.” 
 


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Lekshmi MK

Five Questions on Challenges, Capacity and Policies
The World This Week
February 2026 | CWA # 1962

Global Politics Team

Regional Roundups: From East Asia to the Americas
Early Bird
February 2026 | CWA # 1961

Lekshmi MK

What does it mean for domestic politics and regional stability?
The World This Week
February 2026 | CWA # 1955

Global Politics Team

Regional Roundups: From East Asia to the Americas
TWTW Note
January 2026 | CWA # 1947

Brighty Ann Sarah

TWTW Note
January 2026 | CWA # 1946

Preetha Renganarayanan

The Davos Summit 2026
Five Major Takeaways from The World Economic Forum
The World This Week
January 2026 | CWA # 1945

Global Politics Team

Conflict Weekly Note
January 2026 | CWA # 1943

Anu Maria Joseph

CW Note
January 2026 | CWA # 1942

Lekshmi MK

CW Note
January 2026 | CWA # 1941

Brighty Ann Sarah

Conflict Weekly
January 2026 | CWA # 1940

IPRI Team

TWTW Note
January 2026 | CWA # 1939

Lekshmi MK

CW Note
January 2026 | CWA # 1937

Anu Maria Joseph

State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1931

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1930

Aparna A Nair

State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1924

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1914

Preetha Renganarayanan

State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1913

Rohini Reenum

State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1912

Lekshmi MK

State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1911

Swati Sood

State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1905

Femy Francis

State of Peace and Conflict 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1902

Brighty Ann Sarah

State of Peace and Conflict 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1893

Lekshmi MK

State of Peace and Conflict 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1889

Femy Francis

State of Peace and Conflict 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1881

Sunidhi Sampige

China Reader
December 2025 | CWA # 1864

Femy Francis

Ten Takeaways of a SCMP Interview with a former PLA Colonel
TWTW Note
December 2025 | CWA # 1861

Femy Francis

China Reader
CW Column: The Conflicts in The Middle East
November 2025 | CWA # 1859

Brighty Ann Sarah

CW Column: The War in Ukraine
November 2025 | CWA # 1858

Padmashree Anandhan

This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1801

R Preetha

28 August 1963
Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and the Civil Rights Movement in the US
The World This Week
August 2025 | CWA # 1790

GP Team

The World This Week#323-324
The Trump-Putin meeting & the US-China tariff extension
TWTW note
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
Weaponization of access to the US economy
The World This Week
August 2025 | CWA # 1779

GP Team

The World This Week#322
US tariffs on India, Brazil and Canada & the EU-US trade deal
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1778

Lekshmi MK

28 July 1914
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, starting the First World War
Global Politics Explainer
July 2025 | CWA # 1770

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Pakistan-Afghanistan relations:
Why the focus on terrorism, refugees, and Uzbekistan as the third partner?
The World This Week
July 2025 | CWA # 1769

GP Team

The World This Week#321
Indian PM Modi's visit to the Maldives I Elections to the Upper House in Japan
Global Politics Explainer
July 2025 | CWA # 1762

Lekshmi MK

Ocean Darkening: 
What is the phenomenon? What are its effects? And who are more vulnerable?
Global Politics Explainer
July 2025 | CWA # 1749

R Preetha

Africa as the Hunger Epicenter
Of the 13 Global Hunger Hotspots, 8 are in Africa: Five reasons why
The World This Week
July 2025 | CWA # 1748

GP Team

The World This Week #318
PM Modi’s Visit to Trinidad and Tobago & Ghana, One big beautiful bill, and Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting
Global Politics Explainer
July 2025 | CWA # 1744

Chittrothu Vaihali

EU-Canada Summit 2025
What is security and defence partnership all about?
Conflict Weekly
July 2025 | CWA # 1742

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly # 287-88
The 12 Day War and the Congo-Rwanda Peace Deal
Global Politics Explainer
July 2025 | CWA # 1738

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Thailand and Cambodia
What was the phone call between PM Shinawatra and President of Senate Hun Sen? What is the border dispute between the two? Why has this become an issue?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1735

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025:
Trump making Europe great again
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1734

GP Team

The World This Week #317
NATO Summit 2025 and Russia-Mali bilateral agreements
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1733

Ananya Dinesh

China and the Pacific Islands 
What was the recent China-PIC joint statement about? What it says, and what it means?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1728

M Kejia

G7 Summit 2025:
The Focus on the Middle East and Trade negotiations
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1726

GP Team

The World This Week #316
China-Central Asia Summit in Kazakhstan, and the G7 Summit in Canada
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1725

Brighty Ann Sarah, R Preetha, Santhiya M, Aparna A Nair & M Kejia

Operation Midnight Hammer: US bombs three nuclear sites in Iran
What were the three Iranian nuclear sites that were targeted? What are the B2 Bombers and Bunker Buster Bombs? What do these attacks mean? What Next?
Conflict Weekly
June 2025 | CWA # 1724

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly #286
The Spiralling Israel-Iran Crisis, and the Dangerous Hunger Hotspots
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1721

Rizwana Banu S and Santhiya M

Who are the Afrikaners?
Why is Trump interested in the Afrikaner question in South Africa?
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1720

Lekshmi MK

New WMO Report on Arctic Warming
What are the social, economic and environmental implications of Arctic warming
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1719

J Yamini  

China’s EV Surge
What contributes to the rise of BYD
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1717

J Yamini

Gender Violence in Pakistan:
What are the larger issues in the Noor Mukadam case?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1715

Femy Francis

The US-China:
On Tariffs, Rare Earths and Visas
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1713

GP Team

The World This Week #315
The UN Ocean Conference in France and the US-China Meeting in London
CW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1712

R Preetha

The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1705

GP Team

The World This Week #314
Elections in South Korea and Poland I China and the Pacific Island Countries I Bangladesh Election Announcement 2026
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1703

M Kejia 

Sagarmatha Sambaad in Nepal
Kathmandu’s Global Agenda for the Himalayas
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1700

R Preetha

Ethiopia bans the TPLF
What does the TPLF ban mean for the Pretoria agreement? What next for Ethiopia?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
Harvard vs Trump Administration
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1691

GP Team

The World This Week #313
China-ASEAN-GCC Summit I President Macron's visit to South East Asia I Trump Vs Harvard
The World This Week
May 2025 | CWA # 1690

GP Team

The World This Week #312
Elections in Romania, Portugal & Poland I UK-EU Summit
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
Continuing Russia’s Aerial Attacks, despite exchange of prisoners
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
The Humanitarian Crisis and Israel’s Renewed Offensive
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1685

Aparna A Nair

UK-EU Summit:
First step towards a reset
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1683

Aashish Ganeshan

Elections in Portugal:
The Rise of Chega Party and the Search for Political Stability
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1679

Aashish Ganeshan

US in the Middle Easr
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1678

Gauri Gupta

China in Latin America
China-CELAC forum: Strengthening ties with Latin America and Caribbean
The World This Week
May 2025 | CWA # 1677

GP Team

The World This Week #310-311
China in Latin America and the Carribbean I Trump's Middle East Visit I Denmark as the new Arctic Chair
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
PKK disbands after 40 years of armed insurgency
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
The Discussion in Turkiye and the Elusive Ceasefire
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1671

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

US, Ukraine and Russia:
Air attacks amidst a Minerals deal and Ceasefire Proposals
Global Politics Early Bird
May 2025 | CWA # 1670

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Singapore Elections in 2025:
People’s Action Party (PAP) Wins, Again
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
Tough Tariff Negotiations with the US
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1666

Padmashree Anandhan

The US-Ukraine
The mineral deal with the US
Conflict Weekly
May 2025 | CWA # 1665
Conflict Weekly # 280-81
India-Pakistan De-escalation I Ukraine Discussion in Istanbul I The Battle over Port Sudan I Disbanding of PKK in Turkiye I France-Algeria Diplomatic Tensions
Global Politics Early Bird
May 2025 | CWA # 1663

R Preetha

Canada Elections 2025:
What do the results convey? What next for Mark Carney?
Conflict Weekly 250th Issue
October 2024 | CWA # 1480

IPRI Team

This Week in History
July 2024 | CWA # 1413

Ramya B

Global Politics Early Bird
May 2024 | CWA # 1336

Femy Francis

This Week in History
April 2024 | CWA # 1275

Ramya B

NIAS Global Politics Database
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
This Week in History
March 2024 | CWA # 1246

Sivasubramanian K

NIAS Global Politics Database
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
The World This Week
November 2023 | CWA # 1148

GP Team

The War in Ukraine
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
NIAS Pakistan Weekly
October 2023 | CWA # 1087

PR Team

The World This Week
October 2023 | CWA # 1083

GP Team

Conflict Weekly
August 2023 | CWA # 1049

IPRI Team

IPRI Quarterly Forecasts I Triggers, Trends, and Trajectories
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
The World This Week
July 2023 | CWA # 1009

GP Team

2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 872

Sapna Elsa Abraham

Europe: Heatwaves, Wildfires, Droughts, and Ice Melt in Alps
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
NIAS Africa Weekly
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
The World This Week: 150th Issue
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
Pakistan Reader
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
GLOBAL PROTEST MOVEMENTS
September 2020 | CWA # 337

Anju Annie Mammen

The FATF Meeting, February 2020
February 2020 | CWA # 235

Lakshmi V Menon

Science, Technology and International Relations
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon

The Maldives
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan

India
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej

Bangladesh
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer

Afghanistan
United States
July 2018 | CWA # 47

Rahul Arockiaraj

East Asia
June 2018 | CWA # 26

Siddhatti Mehta