Islamabad, May 3: Ahead of World Press Freedom Day 2026, a recent report by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) highlights the legal pressures, violence, digital harassment, and financial strains faced by media in Pakistan. The report documents at least 233 incidents targeting journalists between January 2025 and April 2026, including 67 attacks, 67 criminal complaints, 11 arrests, 11 detentions, and three kidnappings.
According to the Pakistani daily ‘Dawn’, the shadow of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) looms large over this report. Amendments to the law were made at the beginning of 2025 and were passed in Parliament without consulting any stakeholders, as per PPF’s statements. The law has now become a preferred weapon against journalists, with 34 out of the recorded 67 criminal complaints utilizing PECA.
The report indicates that notices and summons from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) have become “commonplace.” A troubling pattern emerges: when a journalist publishes something controversial, a complaint is swiftly lodged against them.
Human rights lawyer Emaan Jaanab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali, who advocated for journalists in PECA-related cases, were sentenced to 17 years in prison under the same law. The report also notes that legal pressures have not replaced physical threats but have emerged as a new challenge alongside them.
On March 8, during the ‘Women’s March’ in Islamabad, journalists covering the event were arrested and held for nearly eight hours. The PPF expressed concern over the disregard for existing media safety laws, noting that journalists were asked to surrender their electronic devices during their arrest, violating privacy protections granted by these laws.
The report further reveals that female journalists in Pakistan are being targeted through AI-generated content. The PPF documented several cases in 2025-26 where fabricated material related to female journalists was circulated online. Last November, journalist Benazir Shah reported that an AI-generated video of her was shared from an account followed by the federal information minister. The PPF emphasized that such attacks are aimed not merely at challenging the work of female journalists but at tarnishing their reputations in deeply personal and gendered ways.
Additionally, the report mentions attempts to exert economic pressure on the daily ‘Dawn’ by halting government advertisements. The Urdu daily ‘Sahafat’ reportedly faced similar treatment. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has also issued show-cause notices to media organizations that challenged or violated existing “red lines.”
A report by ‘Dawn’ states, “This report views these failures in the context of a widespread pattern of impunity.” While the establishment of the “Federal Commission for the Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals” in November 2025 was a welcome step, the report warns that it must be made operational with adequate resources and genuine autonomy.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
