World Press Freedom Day: PPF draws attention to alarming patterns of intimidation

KARACHI: In 2025, journalists and media professionals in Pakistan find themselves amid an ever-tightening landscape for free expression. Legal challenges through restrictive legislation and cases, overactive regulatory authorities, continued violence against journalists with impunity, and threats to media professionals — the media is working in an environment of intimidation from all fronts.

This year began with the passage of the much-opposed Pakistan Electronic Crimes Amendment (PECA) Act 2025 in January which heightened concerns about the legal consequences journalists may face for their reporting, particularly online. Since then, criminal complaints have been registered against media professionals under sections of the amended cybercrime law including Section 26-A which pertains to fake or false information and carries punishments of up to three years of imprisonment, fines up to Rs2 million, or both.

In a media environment where broadcast media have been significantly silenced over the years through restrictive regulation and violence against media professionals, the further tightening of screws around expression online spells concern for journalists’ ability to report freely without consequences both online and offline. In what has become the norm, the lack of accountability and the role of state bodies — in 2024-25, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), in particular — has set a dangerous pattern of action against media professionals.

At the same time, forms of physical violence, including assault and manhandling as well as arrests, detentions, and the issuance of threats to journalists, continued to undermine the safety of media professionals and served as tools to intimidate the media alongside other punitive measures, including the suspension of advertising to media outlets.

In 2025, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has so far (January - April) documented at least 34 cases including seven instances of case registration, one defamation notice, three instances of call-up notices by the FIA, two arrests, four detentions, two abductions, at least six instances of assault and two of manhandling, two attacks on property including a raid, three instances of threats including a threat of legal action and threats to family, and two of online harassment.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025