Pakistan media regulator walks back ban on news anchors expressing personal opinions
On October 27, 2019, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, the country’s nominally independent media regulator, issued an order posted on its official Twitter account prohibiting news anchors from expressing opinions, stating that anchors hosting news programs “should not appear in talk shows,” and saying that news organizations would be held responsible for “any biased,…
CPJ’s Butler denied entry to Pakistan to attend a human rights conference
On Wednesday, Pakistani immigration authorities denied entry to CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler, citing a blacklist managed by the Ministry of Interior. On Sunday, a Turkish air strike hit a civilian convoy in northern Syria, killing two Syrian Kurdish journalists. Saad Ahmed, a reporter for the local news agency Hawar News, died shortly after…
A concerning plan to establish media courts in Pakistan
Pakistan’s federal cabinet has approved an initiative to establish specialized courts aimed at resolving media-related issues, the government announced on Tuesday. CPJ expressed serious concerns about this plan. On Monday, CPJ voiced apprehension over the appeal of Aleksei Pukach, who was convicted of murdering Ukrainian investigative journalist Georgy Gongadze in 2000. The appeal hearings began…
CPJ concerned about Pakistan media court initiative
Washington, D.C., September 18, 2019 — Pakistan’s federal cabinet has approved an initiative to establish specialized courts aimed at resolving media-related issues, the government announced yesterday, according to news reports. The proposal drew swift condemnation on social media from human rights and press freedom organizations.
Pakistani news program cancelled amid defamation suits from prime minister
On August 6, 2019, Pakistani broadcaster Channel 24 HD cancelled the “Najam Sethi Show,” a news and political commentary program, after the broadcaster’s management received a phone call from an unidentified individual demanding the show be dropped, according to Najam Sethi, the show’s host, who spoke with CPJ on the phone.
News outlets in Pakistan restricted, threatened, censored
Do you have five minutes? Please take this survey to help us improve this newsletter. Thank you! Popular broadcaster Geo News was forced off the air in Pakistan hours before Prime Minister Imran Khan began his official visit to the United States. Earlier this month, Pakistan’s media regulator blocked broadcasts from at least three news…
Pakistani broadcaster Geo News blocked amid prime minister’s visit to Washington
New York, July 21, 2019 — Pakistan’s most popular news channel, the privately owned Geo News broadcaster, has been forced off the air or had its channel number abruptly changed in many parts of the country, according to reports on social media and the broadcaster’s managing director, Azhar Abbas, who spoke to CPJ via messaging…
Pakistani journalist Muhammad Bilal Khan stabbed to death in Islamabad
New York, June 19, 2019 — Pakistani authorities should swiftly investigate the killing of journalist Muhammad Bilal Khan in Islamabad to determine the motive and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.