Pakistan’s press freedom environment has come under international scrutiny, with three prominent rights organisations accusing the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of allowing a worsening climate of intimidation, censorship and restrictions against journalists.
In an open letter to Sharif, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), along with other rights groups, expressed deep concern over the disappearance, detention and investigation of journalists, as well as restrictions on reporting and internet access.
The groups urged the government to account for independent journalists Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, who were allegedly seized on August 1 and taken to an undisclosed location. Islamabad police have reportedly not acknowledged their detention, while their whereabouts remain unknown. The organisations demanded their release, access to lawyers and families, and an independent investigation into their disappearance.
They also called for a transparent investigation into the June 7 assault on reporter Mian Zahid Owaisi in Bahawalpur. Owaisi, a reporter for Urdu-language newspaper Daily Khabarain, was attacked by around 10 armed men after reporting on alleged local drug trafficking. Although three suspects were arrested, several alleged attackers remain at large.
The rights groups sharply criticised the government’s Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, describing them as draconian. The guidelines require journalists working for foreign media organisations to obtain authorisation for assignments outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and give authorities broad powers to suspend accreditation on grounds including national security, sovereignty and public order.
The organisations further condemned the use of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and investigations by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) against journalists. They cited the June arrest of journalist Sohrab Barkat over a YouTube report concerning protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Internet restrictions have also drawn criticism. The groups said the suspension of internet services in PoJK severely hampered journalists’ ability to communicate, verify information and transmit reports. They also criticised the reported blocking of Al Jazeera’s website.
