PAKISTAN MEDIA MONITOR – July 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. 7 – July 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
Do we need information commissions?
Date: July 1, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
Pakistan should reassess its provincial right to information (RTI) frameworks, which remain largely ineffective – weak, slow, and without enforcement power. Once envisioned as tools of transparency, they have become symbolic, costly, and complicit in sustaining bureaucratic inertia.
PIC issues show-cause notices to officials over failure to provide information under RTI law
Date: July 26, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) took action against senior officials of several federal bodies for repeatedly ignoring citizens’ information requests under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Show-cause notices were issued, allowing the Commission to initiate proceedings against ‘hesitant’ officials.
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
UK defamation case: Ex-PTI official apologizes, agrees to pay fine
Date: July 2, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: The Friday Times (TFT)
A former Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) official, Riaz Hussain, agreed to publically apologize and pay GBP40,000 in legal costs to journalist Murtaza Ali Shah, ending a four-year defamation case at a United Kingdom (UK) High Court.
Supreme Court urges responsible media coverage of criminal cases
Date: July 8, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Highlighting the legal and ethical ramifications of media coverage during criminal investigations, the Supreme Court (SC) urged media professionals to exercise responsibility in order to safeguard the rights of both the accused and victims while reporting on criminal proceedings.
British envoy launches climate journalism training
Date: July 9, 2025 – Source: Dawn
As Pakistan grapples with deadly monsoon floods and a projected $1.2 trillion cost of climate inaction, the British High Commission launched a nationwide climate journalism training initiative to empower media professionals to drive awareness and action.
Government backs print media revival to fight misinformation
Date: July 10, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the federal government will implement the assurance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to increase government advertisement rates as it believes in the promotion and development of a vibrant print media to counter fake media platforms.
‘Media Literacy Charter’ in the works
Date: July 14, 2025 – Source 1: Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Source 2: The News
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, speaking at the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Policy Dialogue, stressed that in today’s information-saturated world, the key challenge is distinguishing truth from falsehood. He announced the government’s Media Literacy Charter initiative, aimed at combating misinformation, promoting responsible media use, and strengthening democratic values.
Information minister lauds role of sports journalists
Date: July 14, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar praised the role played by sports journalists in fostering healthy competition and promoting a culture of sportsmanship across all levels, from grassroots to the global stage.
Journalist offers apology after outlet airs inaccurate story
Date: July 17, 2025 – Source: Journalism Pakistan (JP)
In a rare admission, journalist Aizaz Syed publically apologized for falsely reporting that the President of the United States Donald Trump would visit Pakistan on September 18 – a claim disproven by Trump’s scheduled United Kingdom’s (UK) visit from September 17-18, 2025.
Pakistan’s evolving climate journalism scene
Date: July 18, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
Pakistan’s journalism landscape is shifting, with most major media houses now employing at least one full-time climate reporter – often junior staff – across both English and local-language outlets. This marks a welcome change from just a decade ago, when no such dedicated role existed.
Pakistani media’s credibility hit again as Geo News issues apology for false report
Date: July 19, 2025 – Source: Journalism Pakistan (JP)
Pakistan’s mainstream media was once again facing criticism for airing false news – this time targeting journalist Aizaz Syed, who incorrectly claimed that the President of the United States Donald Trump would visit Pakistan on September 18. After it was confirmed Trump would be in the United Kingdom (UK) on those dates, Syed and Geo News issued public apologies, admitting the report was premature.
PTI rebukes ARY for ‘groundless’ claims, imposes temporary boycott
Date: July 21, 2025 – Source 1: Journalism Pakistan (JP), Source 2: The Current
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) criticized ARY News for airing a “false and one-sided” report about its party leadership and Aleema Khan, party supremo Imran Khan’s sister, announcing a temporary boycott of the news channel.
YouTuber asked to pay GBP260,000 damages to two AJK lawmakers
Date: July 27, 2025 – Source: Dawn
A High Court in the United Kingdom (UK) ordered YouTuber Abrar Quraishi to pay over GBP260,000 in damages to two elected officials of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) parliament. The ruling was based on the YouTuber’s “serious, unfounded and harmful allegations” against the officials.
TikTok launches guide to combat misinformation during floods
Date: July 30, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Daily Times
Social media platform TikTok launched a new search guide designed to help users in Pakistan access authoritative and up-to-date information during the ongoing monsoon flood season.
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
Senator says journalists can now resolve financial and security issues ‘without courts or police’
Date: July 26, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Salim Mandviwalla stated that the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (Amendment) Act, 2022, will address media workers’ problems including salary, health, and security under an independent commission, bypassing courts or the police.
AsiaOne News launches with foreign anchorpersons and global aspirations
Date: July 28, 2025 – Source: Journalism Pakistan (JP)
AsiaOne News, Pakistan’s newest English-language channel, officially launched from its Karachi headquarters. The channel’s promotional reels showcased a diverse team of foreign presenters from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
Punjab DGPR, APNS discuss outstanding media payments
Date: July 29, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
An All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) delegation met with Punjab government officials in Lahore to discuss outstanding payments to print media outlets. Officials highlighted progress over the past ten months, noting substantial payments made as an encouraging sign.
Aurora bids farewell: The last chapter in Pakistan’s magazine legacy
Date: July 30, 2025 – Source: Journalism Pakistan (JP)
Aurora Magazine, published by Dawn Media Group, ceased operations with its final issue, marking the end of an era in Pakistani print journalism. Launched in 1998, it covered advertising, branding, and marketing for 27 years, becoming a key resource in Pakistan’s media boom and the dot-com era.
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
Attack outside Dadu press shop wounds two journalists
Date: July 1, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Journalists Niaz Hussain Chandio and Rafiq Channa were shot by four motorcycle-borne assailants outside a photocopy shop in Dadu. One attacker was fatally wounded by friendly fire and collapsed near the Dadu Press Club (DPC).
PECA plea: Journalists’ input sought on social media regulation
Date: July 8, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) sought proposals from journalist bodies to help regulate social media, during the hearing of the petitions filed against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Date: July 8, 2025 – Source: The News
The question for Pakistan is not whether regulation is needed, but whether regulators can reinvent themselves fast enough to remain relevant. Those who evolve will shape the media of tomorrow. Those who resist will be remembered as remnants of an age that refused to adapt.
Court orders ban on 27 opposition and journalist channels
Date: July 9, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Al Jazeera
A federal judge in Islamabad ordered YouTube to block 27 channels, including Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) official account, for spreading “fake, misleading, and defamatory” content against the government and military. The banned channels were being operated by journalists and political commentators.
YouTube channel ban sparks outcry from legal, digital rights groups
Date: July 10, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Forum for Digital Rights and Democracy (FDRD) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) condemned an Islamabad court’s order of blocking 27 YouTube channels, calling it a “blatant violation” of fundamental rights and an assault on press freedom.
Senate panel expresses annoyance over registration of cases against journalists
Date: July 10, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting expressed concern over registration of cases against journalists and social media activists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Senate panel to summon interior secretary over cases against journalists
Date: July 10, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting expressed concern over registration of cases against journalists and social media activists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and decided to summon the secretary interior.
Date: July 10, 2025 – Source: Dawn
An Islamabad court’s order to block 27 YouTube channels is the latest example of how the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) is being used to silence dissent. Despite official assurances, the law continues to target journalists and critics – this time under the vague pretext of curbing “fake, misleading, and defamatory” content.
Date: July 10, 2025 – Source: The News
Barely two months after lifting its ban on social media platform X amid India tensions, Pakistan signaled it is not done with censorship. This time, 27 popular YouTube channels face the axe, as an Islamabad court orders their blocking over alleged ‘anti-sate’ content.
YouTube mulls action on Pakistan court order
Date: July 10, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
Alphabet-owned YouTube said it was considering blocking the channels of dozens of Pakistani vloggers after a court in Islamabad sought to ban them for being “anti-state”, following a complaint filed by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
Report warns of ‘extreme risks’ for journalists in south Punjab
Date: July 11, 2025 – Source 1: Freedom Network (FN), Source 2: Dawn
Journalists in South Punjab face threats ranging from violence and censorship to legal and financial pressure, says a new Freedom Network (FN) report. It documents 28 cases highlighting the region’s shrinking media freedom and safety.
Court halts YouTube ban on two journalists
Date: July 12, 2025 – Source: Dawn
An additional and sessions court suspended a lower court’s order to block the YouTube channels of journalists Matiullah Jan and Asad Toor, ruling that the original directive was issued without due legal process.
Islamabad court suspends YouTube ban order
Date: July 13, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Reuters
An Islamabad district and sessions court suspended a lower court’s order to block 27 YouTube channels to the effect of five more channels, a day after a similar halt on channels of two journalists.
Government bans use of word ‘killed’ for martyred soldiers on media
Date: July 13, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Peshawar Post
The federal Ministry of Information and Broadcasting imposed a ban on the use of word ‘killed’ for martyred security personnel in print, electronic, and social media, terming it “inappropriate and disrespectful”.
Date: July 13, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Journalism in Pakistan remains perilous, as confirmed by the Freedom Network’s (FN) latest report. In south Punjab’s Seraiki belt, journalists face threats from feudals, politicians, extremists, and unelected forces using pressure to silence critical reporting.
IFJ urges Supreme Court to review PECA law, citing threats to journalists
Date: July 15, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Pakistan Today
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) requested the Supreme Court (SC) to review the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and issue directions to the government to amend the Act in consultation with the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and other media stakeholders.
2022 order on controversial PECA section ‘in legal limbo’
Date: July 16, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Digital Rights Foundation (DRF)
More than three years after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) chief justice Athar Minallah struck down Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA), the decision found itself in legal limbo as the judge has yet to issue detailed reasoning for his verdict.
Date: July 16, 2025 – Source: The News
Pakistan has long been hostile to independent journalism. Journalists face not only economic and technological pressures but also a politicized legal environment that targets them for doing their jobs. While authorities are quick to penalize the press, they continue to fail at protecting media professionals from threats, violence, and harassment.
Digital repression: PECA’s role in quieting critics
Date: July 18, 2025 – Source: Dawn
At a national roundtable in Islamabad, speakers condemned the 2025 amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), calling them a tool to stifle independent voices and restrict free expression in Pakistan.
Bill lands in Senate to ban social media use by minors
Date: July 22, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Gulf News
A bill aimed at regulating underage access to social media – titled the Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill, 2025 – was introduced in the Senate and referred to the relevant standing committee for review and recommendations.
Former PTV employee alleges harassment after accused official reappointed in Multan
Date: July 22, 2025 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Former Pakistan Television (PTV) employee Mahjabeen Abid came forward with allegations of workplace harassment and retaliation following the reported reinstatement of a senior official previously accused of misconduct at PTV’s Multan center.
Senate passes bill to provide legal safeguards for journalists
Date: July 22, 2025 – Source 1: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), Source 2: Digital Rights Monitor (DRM)
The Senate unanimously passed the Journalists Protection (Amendment) Bill, introducing legal safeguards for media workers, their families, and affiliated organizations across Pakistan. The bill criminalizes violence against journalists and guarantees the right to source confidentiality.
Date: July 23, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
The Senate is reviewing a bill to ban social media for children under 16, citing mental health risks, cyberbullying, and harmful content. While aimed at protecting youth, the bill raises serious concerns over enforcement, privacy, and digital rights.
Government asks social media firms to block account of terror outfits
Date: July 26, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The federal government requested social media companies to block 481 accounts it claimed were associated with terrorist groups and share information about users operating these accounts.
Date: July 27, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The state seems to be concerned about the growing influence of extremists on social media platforms. But its efforts to clamp down on online hate and violent narratives will be hampered by its tendency to blur the line between objectively dangerous content and expressions of dissent or criticism.
Missing tourist family identified as anchorperson’s after flash floods at Babusar Top
Date: July 28, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: The Nation
A family swept away by flash floods at Babusar Top was identified as rescue teams and locals recovered a car and personal belongings from the flood zone. Identification documents revealed the missing individuals as television anchorperson Shabana Liaquat, her husband, and their four children.
Two vloggers booked under PECA for ‘vilifying’ government officials
Date: July 31, 2025 – Source: The News
Two vloggers in Vehari were booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) for allegedly spreading fake news against the district deputy commissioner and the chief official of the local municipal committee.
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.
