PAKISTAN MEDIA MONITOR – April 2025
A monthly report on trends relating to state of journalism and media rights, policies and practices
Tracking:
Media related laws, policies and regulations
The state of media professionalisms
The state of media economy
Threats and attacks against journalists and information practitioners
Vol. 6, No. 4 – April 2025 Edition
Produced by Freedom Network – www.fnpk.org
SECTION 1: Media related laws, policies, regulations, mechanisms
- Freedom of expression (FOE)
- Right to information (RTI), access to information (ATI)
- Federal and provincial governments (relevant ministries and departments)
- Media related regulators (PPC, PEMRA, PTA)
- Regulatory issues related to print, electronic and digital media
Draft law tabled in Senate to protect whistleblowers
Date: April 26, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Daily Times
The federal government introduced a bill in the Senate to establish a Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission. The proposed body will aim to create a formal mechanism for reporting corruption, safeguard whistleblowers from retaliation, and offer incentives for credible disclosures.
SECTION 2: The state of media professionalisms
- Media independence issues
- Public interest journalism practices and challenges
- Ethical journalism issues
- The state of thematic journalism
- Community-focused media
- Misinformation / disinformation / fake news
PFUJ demands probe into media delegation’s visit to Israel
Date: April 2, 2025 – Source 1: Arab News, Source 2: Journalism Pakistan (JP)
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) denounced the alleged visit of a delegation of Pakistani journalists to Israel, deeming it a ‘grave breach of journalistic integrity, a transgression against the principles of press freedom, and a betrayal of the global pursuit of human rights’.
Journalists receive training to tackle ageism in media
Date: April 9, 2025 – Source: Foundation for Ageing and Inclusive Development (FAID)
In partnership with the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Foundation of Ageing and Inclusive Development (FAID) held a one-day training to equip media professionals with the skills to report on Pakistan’s ageing population with ‘dignity, empathy, and precision’.
Date: April 13, 2025 – Source: The News
In an age of lightning-fast information, the line between truth and falsehood has dangerously blurred. Misinformation now poses a global threat, with Pakistan particularly at risk due to limited digital literacy, political volatility, and deep societal divides.
Punjab government panel to fund film industry
Date: April 21, 2025 – Source 1: Radio Pakistan (RP), Source 2: Dawn, Source 3: Express Tribune
The Punjab government formed an eight-member Punjab Film Fund Disbursement Committee to administer grants from the Chief Minister’s Film Fund (CMFF), aiming to support filmmakers and rejuvenate the province’s cinematic industry.
Maryam Nawaz for establishing a film city in Punjab
Date: April 21, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: The Nation
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed relevant authorities to establish the province’s first film city, complete with a state-of-the-art film studio, post-production laboratory, and Pakistan’s first dedicated film school.
Parliamentary panel discusses code of conduct for advertising and entertainment sectors
Date: April 22, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting convened a consultative session with key stakeholders to deliberate on the formulation of a code of conduct for the entertainment and advertising industries.
Efforts being made for revival of film industry, says Azma Bokhari
Date: April 28, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: The Nation
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari hailed the China Film Festival in Lahore as a refreshing boost for Pakistan’s film industry. She praised China’s continued support, including its growing collaboration in cinema. The Punjab government, she added, is committed to advancing the film sector alongside broader development efforts.
Lahore High Court grants bail in fake video case involving Punjab minister
Date: April 30, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Pakistan Today
The Lahore High Court (LHC) granted post-arrest bail to Ali Hassan Toor, accused of uploading a doctored video of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on social media.
SECTION 3: The state of media economy
- Economic landscape of media industry
- Impact of Covid-19 on media resilience and sustainability
- Government and private advertising for media industry
- Advertising sector and its interface with media industry
- Business viability and sustainability of media
- Wages, salaries and arrears of journalists and media practitioners
Freedom Network wants independent body to dole out government advertisements
Date: April 11, 2025 – Source 1: Freedom Network (FN), Source 2: Dawn
Media and press freedom watchdog Freedom Network (FN) called for the formation of an independent Steering Committee, which would be responsible for granting government advertisements to media outlets.
Government abolishes over 1,900 posts at PTV in rightsizing effort
Date: April 12, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Pakistan Today
In a move aligned with the federal cabinet’s decision on rightsizing, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting abolished 1,961 posts at its subsidiary, the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC).
Date: April 18, 2025 – Source: Dawn
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the total number of newspapers and periodicals in Pakistan declined from 749 in 2011 to 707 by 2019. The downward trend was particularly stark in Punjab and Sindh – from 102 to 42 in Punjab and from 44 to just 5 in Sindh.
FOSPAH rules in favor of female journalists
Date: April 22, 2025 – Source 1: The Nation, Source 2: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection against Harassment (FOSPAH) delivered a ruling in support of five female staff at Daily Jang, affirming their grievances over workplace hostility and the abrupt alteration of their work schedules. These actions emerged after the employees initiated efforts to secure permanent employment status and equitable remuneration.
SECTION 4: Threats and attacks against media and information practitioners, including online
- Murders and killings
- Kidnappings and abductions
- Arrests and detentions
- Threats – verbal and written
- Harassment and intimidation – offline and online
- Surveillance, hacking and data breaches
- Legal cases for journalism-related work or free speech
- Impunity of crimes against journalists
- Censorship
Crackdown on journalists raises press freedom concerns in Pakistan
Date: April 1, 2025 – Source: Human Rights Research Center (HRRC)
The Human Rights Research Center (HRRC) condemned the reported crackdown on press freedom in Pakistan, including arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of journalists under vague cybercrime laws, urging authorities to release detained media practioners and uphold the right to free expression.
Journalist gets bail in ‘anti-state’ content, data theft cases
Date: April 8, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Pakistan Today
Weeks after a legal battle in courts, journalist Farhan Mallick secured post-arrest bail in two cases registered against him – one pertaining to allegedly uploading anti-state content on his YouTube channel and the other related to data theft through spoofing.
IHC infuriated by lack of progress in finding missing brothers of journalist
Date: April 8, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) voiced concern over the continued inaction regarding the disappearance of two brothers of US-based Pakistani journalist Ahmad Noorani, who have been missing from the federal capital since March 19.
Journalist alleges FIA threats, possible arrest over reporting
Date: April 8, 2025 – Source: Journalism Pakistan (JP)
Journalist and YouTuber Arzoo Kazmi accused state institutions, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), of orchestrating a campaign of harassment against her in retaliation for her “outspoken” journalism.
Journalist summoned by FIA over social media post, faces defamation notice
Date: April 8, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Hum News journalist Muhammad Ayub Khan was served a notice by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over an alleged objectionable social media post, while simultaneously receiving a defamation notice from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority (KPHA) following his video exposing alleged substandard construction on the Badri Bridge.
Journalist booked under PECA for accusing police official of alleged corruption
Date: April 8, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
A criminal case was filed in Khairpur against journalist Abdul Khalif Chauhan under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), reportedly in retaliation for publishing a news report alleging corruption by a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and disseminating it via social media platforms.
Journalist unions threaten protest as Azad Kashmir charges newspaper over ‘fake news’
Date: April 8, 2025 – Source: Arab News
Leading Pakistani journalist unions threatened to launch protests over the government in Azad Kashmir registering a case against a local newspaper on charges of spreading “fake news and negative propaganda” against state authorities.
Pakistan’s cybercrime law being used as ‘tool’ against freedom of expression, journalists
Date: April 8, 2025 – Source: Arab News
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) is being used as a “tool” by state authorities to suppress freedom of expression and target journalists, according to media watchdog Freedom Network (FN).
Providing X users’ list not possible, Lahore High Court told
Date: April 9, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
The federal government informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) that it was not possible for it to provide a list containing names of government officials who use social media platform X, even after imposing a temporary ban on the platform.
Reporter mugged, man attacked in robbery spree
Date: April 10, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
Security footage emerged capturing a daylight robbery in Rawalpindi, in which Fahad Bashir, a reporter for a private television channel, was targeted. The armed assailants also attempted to rob a nearby woman and man, discharging their weapons and fleeing the scene after the man resisted.
AJK government registers case against newspaper and staff
Date: April 10, 2025 – Source: Journalism Pakistan (JP)
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) registered a case against local newspaper The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its management staff, for allegedly spreading fake news and propaganda regarding the state’s Parliamentary Ranger Force (PRF).
Sindh sets up body to curb social media ‘misuse’
Date: April 11, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Daily Times
The Sindh Apex Committee decided to set up a special unit within the home department to address the growing cases of social media “misuse” in coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
Sindhi journalist murdered in Khairpur, PFUJ declares three-day mourning
Date: April 11, 2025 – Source: Journalism Pakistan (JP)
Unidentified attackers killed Sindhi journalist Allah Dino Shar, leaving his body abandoned along a link road in Khairpur. The grim discovery was made by locals, with police officials transporting the body to a hospital for medico-legal examination.
Lahore High Court issues contempt notices in viral video case
Date: April 12, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Pakistan Today
The Lahore High Court (LHC) issued contempt of court notices to three police officials over the issue of filming and uploading on social media the videos of detainees in a raid on a party at a farmhouse in Kasur.
Khairpur police claim arresting journalist’s killers
Date: April 13, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Khairpur police claimed to have arrested five suspects allegedly involved in the murder of journalist Allah Dino Shar, who worked for an Urdu news channel in Khairpur.
Mansehra police set up call center to monitor social media content
Date: April 13, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: The News
The Mansehra Police Department (MPD) constituted an Information Technology Monitoring Cell (ITMC) to oversee and take legal action against social media content creators uploading ‘sacrilegious and sectarian’ content.
PPF unveils complaint protocols under federal, Sindh media safety laws
Date: April 15, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) released guidelines to assist journalists and media professionals in filing complaints under the federal Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, and the provincial Sindh Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Act, 2021.
Ban on X: Lahore High Court directs AGP to appear in person
Date: April 15, 2025 – Source 1: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
The Lahore High Court (LHC) summoned the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) to appear in person and present the legal justification for the government’s notification enforcing the ban on the social media platform X, in response to a petition challenging its legality.
Protest threatened against journalist’s ‘abduction’
Date: April 15, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Upper and South Waziristan District Press Club warned of a protest movement if police authorities are unable to locate and safely recover ‘abducted’ journalist Inamullah Mehsud.
IHC orders government to submit reply to pleas against PECA amendments
Date: April 18, 2025 – Source 1: Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Source 2: Dawn
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the federal government to submit its response to petitions challenging the amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) within two weeks.
Minister says Pakistani journalists who visited Israel may face travel ban, lose citizenship
Date: April 18, 2025 – Source: Arab News
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the federal government could impose travel restrictions and review the citizenship of Pakistani journalists who reportedly visited Israel amid the violent conflict in Gaza.
Balochistan’s war on journalism: When truth-telling becomes a death sentence
Date: April 18, 2025 – Source: The Diplomat
Balochistan has, over the years, transformed into a graveyard for press freedom – not because stories are absent, but because telling them is a direct threat to life. For journalists who remain in Balochistan, every word typed and every video uploaded carries the weight of potential death.
Grenade attack hits journalist’s home in Darra Adam Khel
Date: April 18, 2025 – Source: Tribal News Network (TNN)
A grenade exploded inside the premises of journalist Nisar Afridi’s home in Darra Adam Khel, sparking concern amid a reportedly long-standing local dispute. No casualties were reported during the incident.
PJSC demands framework for protection of journalists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Date: April 19, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC) called upon the provincial government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to take serious note of crimes committed against media and its practioners.
CPNE concerned about rising restrictions on media freedom
Date: April 20, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Pakistan Today
The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) expressed concern over restrictions on press freedom and the challenges faced by the country’s print media industry.
Opposition leader criticizes media curbs, censorship
Date: April 21, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Ground News
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan criticized authorities for placing curbs on media outlets which, he said, were not free to broadcast the opposition groups’ narratives.
Journalist flags FIA action against content creators
Date: April 21, 2025 – Source: Journalism Pakistan
Journalist Sanaullah Khan alleged a financial crackdown on critical YouTubers, with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) reportedly freezing accounts not only of digital content creators but also of their relatives.
The Clooney Foundation to monitor proceedings against Pakistani journalist
Date: April 22, 2025 – Source: The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ)
The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) announced that it will monitor the proceedings against investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani under Pakistan’s “flawed” Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Journalist’s missing brothers found in police raid
Date: April 22, 2025 – Source 1: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), Source 2: Ground News
Two brothers of US-based Pakistani journalist Ahmad Noorani – who had been missing from Islamabad since March 19 – were reportedly recovered during a police operation in Rahim Yar Khan. The recovery took place during a late-night patrol when a police team encountered armed suspects.
PFUJ alarmed by threats to journalists
Date: April 22, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) voiced concern over the intimidation and threats directed at journalists by affiliates of a religious political group. The union urged the federal government to take measures to safeguard media professionals and guarantee a secure working environment.
IHC orders early hearing on petition for journalist protection commission
Date: April 22, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved an application for an early hearing of a petition seeking the formation of a commission under the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, aimed at safeguarding journalists’ rights.
Journalist arrested for allegedly circulating false content online
Date: April 22, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Journalist Junaid Sagar Qureshi was arrested by the District Central Police (DCP) for allegedly spreading false and provocative content online. The arrest followed the registration of a case against him under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
KPC demands security for threatened television anchorpersons
Date: April 23, 2025 – Source: The News
The Karachi Press Club (KPC) expressed concern over threats made by a religious political group towards anchorpersons employed by Dawn News, urging the federal and Sindh governments to ensure the safety of threatened journalists.
Media seminar in North Waziristan marks a new beginning
Date: April 23, 2025 – Source 1: Radio Pakistan (RP), Source 2: The News
In Miranshah, a palpable shift hung in the air – a resonance of dialogue and the boldness to voice truth. Once a byword for fear and silence, North Waziristan was now embracing a historic turn, where journalism and open discourse seemingly thrived.
PFUJ launches mobile application to ensure safety of journalists
Date: April 27, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Pakistan remains one of the most perilous countries for journalists. To address this, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) launched a Journalist Alert App to enhance reporter safety. With a single tap of the panic button, media professionals can share their location and alert both the journalist community and relevant authorities.
Trump-backed firm signs letter of intent with Pakistan’s crypto council
Date: April 27, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: The News, Source 3: Arab News
World Liberty Financial (WLF), a decentralized finance platform backed by US President Donald Trump, signed a letter of intent with the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) to advance blockchain innovation and stable coin adoption and decentralized finance (DeFi) integration across the country.
India blocks 16 Pakistani YouTube channels
Date: April 29, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: The Hindu, Source 3: Northeast Herald
The Indian government blocked 16 Pakistani YouTube channels and wrote a formal letter to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) conveying India’s sentiment’s on its Pahalgam terror attack reportage.
Police warned against allowing media access to detainees
Date: April 30, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Pakistan Today
Justice Ali Zia Bajwa of the Lahore High Court (LHC) cautioned police against defying a directive prohibiting media interviews of individuals in custody, issuing the warning while presiding over a case involving the release of detainee footage by police in Kasur and Lahore.
OBJECTIVES: This series of monthly report aims to:
- Monitor the state of policies, regulations and mechanisms governing the media sector in Pakistan; the state of freedom of expression and right to information environment in the country and how these interfaces with media freedoms allowed or restricted via media regulations governed by the print, electronic and internet regulators.
- Track the state of media professionalisms in the country including ethical and public interest journalism practices and challenges, and the challenges of misinformation, disinformation and fake news phenomena.
- Follow the changing economic dynamics of the media industry and how they impact the business viability and sustainability of media and exploitation of media staff in lieu of their wages and arrears.
- Scrutinize threats and attacks against media and information practitioners, the state of impunity of crimes against journalists and efforts to provide justice for those aggrieved and distressed.
INFORMATION SOURCES: This report monitors, among others, the following sources of information:
- Government: Federal and provincial cabinets
- Ministries: Related ministries, including Information and Broadcasting, Information Technology (IT) and Telecom, Human Rights, Science and Technology, Commerce and Industry, etc.
- Legislatures: Senate, National Assembly, provincial assemblies, relevant standing committees
- Regulators: Pakistan telecommunications Authority (PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Press Council of Pakistan (PPC), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), etc.
- Global organizations: UN/Unesco, International Media Support (IMS), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), etc.
- National organizations: Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), BoloBhi, Media Matters for Democracy (MMFD), Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), etc.
- Media: Dawn, The News, Express Tribune, The Nation, Pakistan Today, The Friday Times, etc.
- Social Media:Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Local networks: Journalists Safety Hubs Network, Alliance on Diversity & Pluralism in Media, etc.
- Any other open public information sources.
