CPJ, 17 groups urge PM to address worsening press freedom climate

NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) alongside 17 other press freedom and human rights organisations have written to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his government to take immediate steps to uphold the country’s constitutional and international obligations to protect press freedom.

In a joint letter, the groups said recent legal and institutional developments, coupled with persistent failures to ensure accountability for attacks on journalists, have contributed to an increasingly hostile environment for members of the press.

The letter said Pakistan’s press freedom situation has deteriorated sharply since the adoption of the 27th constitutional amendment in November 2025.

The amendment led to the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court, a development that has coincided with a weakening of judicial oversight and accountability in cases involving attacks on the media.

Rather than strengthening protections for journalists, the groups argue, these changes have created a more restrictive and uncertain environment for independent journalism.

The signatories also called on the government to address serious violations against journalists, including the immediate release of journalist Sohrab Barkat, who has been detained for more than 90 days in connection with his reporting.