CPJ, partners call Pakistan’s prime minister to address alarming deterioration in press freedom
The Committee to Protect Journalists, together with eight other press freedom and human rights organizations, on Friday urged Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate action to address the country’s rapidly deteriorating press freedom environment. In a joint letter, the groups expressed concern about new restrictions on reporting in parts of Pakistan, recurring internet…
Pakistan detains journalist Muhammad Bilal Ghauri over commentary on security appointment
New York, September 9, 2026—Pakistani authorities must immediately release independent journalist Muhammad Bilal Ghauri and drop the cybercrime case filed against him over his commentary about the appointment of a senior counterterrorism official, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Ghauri, who covers news via his popular YouTube channel, was reported missing by his family…
Pakistan introduces sweeping rules to restrict foreign media amid Kashmir unrest
New York, August 6, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Pakistani authorities to withdraw draconian new guidelines requiring journalists working for international media outlets to obtain authorization before reporting outside Islamabad, Karachi, or Lahore, in a move likely to censor coverage of unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The guidelines, reviewed by CPJ, require international and…
Pakistani journalists Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif detained amid crackdown on Kashmir reporting
New York, August 5, 2026—Pakistani authorities must account for and immediately release journalists Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, who were taken by men in police uniform from their office in the capital city Islamabad, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday. Tahir and Saif, independent journalists who publish through Tahir’s popular social media…
Pakistan suspends Geo News broadcast license for 15 days over religious content
New York, July 2, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Pakistan’s media regulator to immediately lift its 15-day suspension of Geo News’ broadcast license after the news network was reprimanded over content aired during a program marking Muharram, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)…
Pakistani authorities detain journalist Sohrab Barkat again over reporting on Kashmir
New York, June 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Pakistani authorities to immediately release journalist Sohrab Barkat who was arrested on June 5 at his home in Islamabad over reports on his YouTube channel about protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. After the arrest and seizure of his phone and car keys, the National Cyber…
Press freedom coalition welcomes arrest in Shan Dahar murder, urges Pakistani authorities to order transparent reinvestigation
New York, April 9, 2026—Press freedom organizations Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcome the recent arrest of Irfan Brohi, a suspect in the 2014 murder of Pakistani journalist Zakir Hussain Dahar and call on authorities in Pakistan’s Sindh province to immediately appoint a senior police…
CPJ, partners urge Pakistan PM to stop deportations of exiled Afghan journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined two other press freedom groups in calling on Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to end the intensifying harassment, arbitrary arrests, and deportations of Afghan journalists living in exile in Pakistan. In a joint letter sent March 13, the organizations said Afghan journalists who fled Taliban persecution were now…
Gunmen open fire on the home of Pakistani journalist Ihsan Khattak
New York, February 27, 2026—Pakistani authorities should swiftly investigate a shooting attack on the residence of journalist Ihsan Khattak and ensure the safety of all reporters working in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On February 12, at about 9.45 p.m., unidentified gunmen fired multiple shots at the main…
CPJ, rights groups urge Pakistan PM to address worsening press freedom climate
The Committee to Protect Journalists alongside 17 other press freedom and human rights organizations have written to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his government to take immediate steps to uphold the country’s constitutional and international obligations to protect press freedom. In a joint letter, the groups said recent legal and institutional developments, coupled with…