Freedom of press under pressure in Pakistan

29-11-24

Emma Wijnen

Team Pakistan Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

In a concerning escalation of tensions surrounding ongoing protests by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, a prominent journalist Matiullah Jan was arrested yesterday while covering demonstrations in Islamabad. Jan, a known critic of the government, was detained by police on charges of terrorism, drug peddling and attacking the police. 

His son tweeted from his father’s X account: 

Matiullah Jan has been abducted from the parking of PIMS tonight at around 11 by unmarked abductors in an unmarked vehicle alongside Saqib Bashir (who was let go 5 minutes later). This follows his courageous coverage of the protests in Islamabad. I demand that my father be let go immediately and his family immediately be informed of his whereabouts.

The arrest occurred as security forces clamped down on PTI supporters, who had been staging protests demanding Khan’s release. The incident has raised alarms among press freedom advocates, who argue that the Pakistani government is increasingly targeting journalists to suppress independent coverage of politically sensitive events. Pakistan ranks among the most hazardous environments for journalists globally, with numerous cases of physical assault, arbitrary detention, and even targeted killings. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the country ranks as the 12th country on the Global Impunity Index. This index shows murders of journalists that have not been solved.

As protests intensify, media freedoms in Pakistan appear increasingly under pressure, leaving many journalists caught between the need to report the truth and the risk of violent reprisals.

Sources and further readings:

Dhawan S, “‘If you scream no one will hear you’: Pakistani journalists report in fear amid spike in media killings” (Committee to Protect Journalists, 30 October 2024) <https://cpj.org/2024/10/if-you-scream-no-one-will-hear-you-pakistani-journalists-report-in-fear-amid-spike-in-media-killings/> accessed 28 November 2024. 

Matiullah Jan (@Matiullahjan919), “Pakistan’s military…is trying to control the narrative” (X, 28 November 2024) <https://twitter.com/Matiullahjan919/status/1861925290772988024> accessed 28 November 2024.

Shahzad A, “Pakistani journalist probing Imran Khan protest casualties charged with terrorism, lawyer says” (Reuters, 28 November 2024) <https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistani-journalist-probing-imran-khan-protest-casualties-charged-with-2024-11-28/> accessed on 28 November 2024.