Press freedom groups warn Pakistan of deteriorating media climate

Nine international and domestic press freedom organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have urged Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address a “rapidly deteriorating press freedom climate.” The groups are calling for the withdrawal of new Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, which they describe as “draconian.” These rules require journalists working for foreign outlets to obtain government permission to report outside of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

The organizations also highlighted the increasing use of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to target media workers. Specifically, the CPJ has called for the immediate release of journalist Muhammad Bilal Ghauri, who was detained by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) following social media commentary regarding the appointment of a national counterterrorism official.

Pakistan currently ranks 153rd out of 180 countries in the RSF World Press Freedom Index. Rights groups report that journalists in the country face detention, disappearance, and criminal investigations as authorities seek to control journalistic content.