On May 24, Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowed the live telecast of all cases related to enforced disappearances. This ruling came during a hearing on the petition for the recovery of the missing Kashmiri poet and journalist, Ahmed Farhad Shah, allegedly detained by an intelligence...
Read MoreOn May 13, the Supreme Court of Pakistan expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation into the abduction and harassment cases of three journalists, Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor, and Absar Alam. The court ordered the Islamabad police to appoint “competent officers” to conduct a thorough re-investigation. A...
Read MoreOn May 20, the Punjab Assembly passed a controversial defamation bill despite strong opposition from journalists and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The Punjab Defamation Bill,2024, which allows for the establishment of special tribunals to address “fake news,” was passed by a voice...
Read MorePolice and local administration officials sealed shut the gates of the Quetta Press Club on May 18 in a move raising concerns about press freedom. The closure was reportedly an attempt to prevent the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) from holding a seminar at the venue. BYC members arrived...
Read MoreIn the past few weeks, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led government at the helm of the federal government and in the Punjab province has demonstrated its lack of regard for the need to protect free expression online, presenting and approving different bills that increase the regulation...
Read MoreProtests over high wheat and electricity prices have caused significant disruption in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) since May 11, leading to the suspension of internet and cellular services in various regions. Amid the turmoil, ARY News journalist Sardar Ayaz was injured while covering the events. Organized by...
Read MoreIn a Supreme Court session on May 13, revelations emerged that three out of six litigants, initially part of a 2022 petition aiming to regulate media freedom, declared they never consented to the case. The disclosure came during a hearing by a three-judge bench led...
Read Moreof media freedom. The Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) issued statements shedding light on the myriad challenges faced by journalists in Pakistan. AEMEND condemned the increase in attacks on journalists, with many losing their lives or being...
Read MoreThe Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication announced the establishment of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in a notification dated April 24. This new body is set to replace the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing, which has now ceased its cybercrime functions. The announcement followed remarks by Information Minister Attaullah...
Read MorePakistan has descended two places in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 3. The country now stands at 152 out of 180 nations, marking a decline from its position at 150 in the previous year’s index. The RSF report highlights that the political indicator, one of...
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