In 2025, Pakistan’s media landscape has been engulfed by a wave of violence and repression that has left journalists battered, silenced, and increasingly fearful for their lives. The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has declared this year a “bleak” chapter for press freedom, documenting at least 137 confirmed incidents targeting media professionals between January and October. These include 35 cases of physical assault and manhandling, five detentions, two abductions, and four attacks on media property, underscoring a systemic erosion of journalistic safety and independence.
The most brazen of these attacks occurred on October 2, when Islamabad police violently dispersed a peaceful demonstration by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee outside the National Press Club. As protesters sought refuge inside the club, police stormed the premises, breaking doors, damaging property, and assaulting journalists with batons. Among those injured was Kashmiri journalist Raja Rukhsar, whose mistreatment was captured in widely circulated footage. Two photographers and three press club employees were injured, and more than 15 protesters were arrested during the raid. Equipment including mobile phones and cameras was destroyed, and two press club staff were briefly detained.
This incident was not isolated. Just weeks earlier, on September 8, three journalists were assaulted at a press conference held by Aleema Khan, sister of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Rawalpindi. On September 11, Bilal Farooqui, news editor at the Express Tribune, was arrested from his home in Karachi, blindfolded, and interrogated by police under the guise of a “survey.” These events reflect a disturbing pattern of targeted harassment and intimidation of journalists, often under the pretext of law enforcement or political retaliation.
The PPF’s report paints a grim picture of the broader environment: eight journalists have died in 2025, two under circumstances still inconclusive in relation to their professional work. Khawar Hussain, a Karachi-based journalist, was found shot dead in his vehicle on August 16 in Sanghar under suspicious circumstances. His death remains unresolved, fueling concerns about targeted violence against media workers in Sindh, a province long plagued by attacks on journalists. Just months earlier, on May 24, Abdul Latif Baloch was killed inside his home in Balochistan by a state-backed militia. His murder, reportedly linked to his professional work, highlighted the perilous environment for journalists covering conflict and governance in Pakistan’s restive southwestern province.
Both cases reflect the broader climate of impunity and fear that continues to undermine press freedom in Pakistan.These deaths follow a long history of violence in Pakistan’s conflict zones, where journalists are routinely targeted by both militant groups and state actors. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) previously recorded 184 incidents of violence against journalists in Sindh between 2018 and 2023, including 10 killings.
Leading up to the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, Pakistan witnessed a troubling 60% surge in media-related violations compared to the previous year. This sharp increase was documented in the Freedom Network’s Annual Impunity Report 2025, compiled with support from International Media Support (IMS). The report highlights a worsening environment for press freedom and journalist safety, pointing to growing threats and systemic challenges under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration. These findings underscore the urgent need for stronger protections for journalists and a renewed commitment to safeguarding freedom of expression in Pakistan.
Legal repression has intensified alongside physical violence. In 2025 alone, eight journalists were arrested, and 30 FIRs were filed, 22 under the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), notably under Section 26-A, which criminalizes “fake or false information.” The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency initiated 23 actions against media professionals, weaponizing cybercrime laws to stifle dissent and critical reporting. The Pakistan Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025 has drawn sharp criticism for its potential misuse, enabling authorities to surveil, detain, and prosecute journalists under vague and sweeping provisions.
The crackdown is not limited to individuals. Press clubs and media offices have become frequent targets. In March, police forcibly entered the Quetta Press Club; in June, the Badin Press Club was attacked over a shrine dispute; and in October, the Islamabad National Press Club was raided during the aforementioned protest. These attacks reflect a broader strategy of dismantling institutional spaces for free expression and collective resistance.
The roots of this repression run deep. Since the February 2024 general elections, the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has continued the previous administration’s crackdown on civil society and media. Journalists have faced digital and physical surveillance, intimidation, and harassment for perceived criticism of the government. Television signals giving airtime to opposition voices have been jammed, and coverage of sensitive topics, such as militancy, ethnic protest movements, and military corruption, has been met with swift retaliation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported seven journalist killings in 2024, some allegedly by militant groups, others victims of enforced disappearances. Syed Farhad Ali Shah was abducted from his home in May, and Asad Ali Toor, a digital journalist, was arrested in February for allegedly running a “campaign” against Supreme Court judges after reporting on the judiciary’s ties to the military.
Exile offers no guarantee of safety. Arshad Sharif, a fearless TV journalist who exposed corruption and criticized the military, fled Pakistan after receiving death threats. He was shot dead by police in Nairobi on October 23, 2022. His killing sent shockwaves through the journalistic community, a chilling reminder that even overseas, Pakistani journalists are not safe. Taha Siddiqui, another investigative journalist, fled to France in 2018 but has since written that he still feels unsafe.
The military and its intelligence agencies, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), remain the most feared actors among journalists. According to Amnesty International, the ISI has been implicated in kidnappings, threats, and killings of journalists who cross its path. The agency’s reach extends beyond conflict zones like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Waziristan, and Balochistan, into urban centers where journalists are surveilled and silenced.
Pakistan’s standing in the Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) World Press Freedom Index has steadily deteriorated over recent years, reflecting an increasingly hostile environment for journalists and media freedom. In 2020, Pakistan was ranked 145th out of 180 countries, a position already indicative of systemic challenges to press independence. By 2022, the country had plummeted to 157th, placing it firmly in the bottom quartile and signaling a deepening crisis for journalistic freedom.
Although 2024 saw a slight improvement to 152nd place, this marginal gain was short-lived. The 2025 RSF Index recorded another decline, with Pakistan falling to 158th out of 180 countries, its lowest position in recent years. This downward spiral underscores a persistently worsening climate for the press, driven by escalating political interference, mounting violence against journalists, and the aggressive use of repressive legislation such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to stifle dissent.
The trajectory of these rankings paints a stark picture: rather than progressing toward greater openness and protection for media professionals, Pakistan has become increasingly inhospitable to independent journalism. The consistent decline in RSF’s assessments reflects not only the frequency of attacks and legal harassment but also the entrenched impunity and institutional hostility that continue to undermine press freedom in the country.
The convergence of state-backed violence, legal persecution, and institutional attacks has created a climate of fear and self-censorship. Journalists now operate under the constant threat of arrest, assault, or worse. Without robust protections for journalists, the country risks sliding further into authoritarianism. The voices of truth-tellers must not be drowned out by batons, bullets, or bogus laws.
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