Karachi (1st August 2025) — The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), in its first meeting of the Press Freedom and Monitoring Committee for the year 2025–26, expressed grave concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom across the country. Chaired by Committee Chairman Maqsood Yousufi via video link, the meeting brought together members from various cities to review the incidents and challenges confronting freedom of expression between 3rd May and 31st July 2025.
The Committee observed that during the ongoing year, the media has faced grave threats, including the targeted killing of journalists, unlawful arrests, physical assaults, fabricated legal charges, attacks on media offices, and increasing legislative curbs.
In Balochistan, Latif Baloch, a senior reporter for Daily Intekhab Quetta, and in Sindh, Syed Muhammad Shah, a correspondent for Abtak News, were gunned down in their homes by armed assailants.
In Islamabad, SHO Tayyab Baig of New Town Police Station illegally detained Tariq Work, President of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club, along with Naeem Minhas, a reporter from Daily Sach Peshawar, for more than six hours before releasing them.
In Gujarat, journalists Abdul Sattar Mirza, Syed Naveed Hussain Shah, Rana Shehzad, and Syed Zulfiqar were arbitrarily arrested and subjected to baseless criminal charges.
In Quetta, during the coverage of a protest, lawyers attacked Hanif Bizaee (reporter) and Zafar Ali Abro (cameraperson) of Neo TV. However, senior leaders of the Quetta Bar Association, including President Rehmatullah Kakard, later met with BUJ leadership to express regret and extended a formal apology for the misconduct.
Meanwhile, in Badin (Sindh), miscreants stoned the Press Club and attempted to forcibly enter the premises. In Karachi, unknown individuals attacked the main gate of the Daily Ibrat bureau office, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among staff.
In Punjab, a controversial piece of legislation was introduced, seemingly to legalise the use of public funds for personal publicity, prompting strong protests from journalist bodies.
In Islamabad, a lower court initially ordered the shutdown of dozens of YouTube channels under the PECA law. However, this order was later suspended, offering temporary relief to affected content creators.
The Committee unequivocally condemned these developments, deeming them a serious threat to journalistic freedom and a dangerous erosion of democratic values.
Chairman Maqsood Yousufi stated, “Freedom of expression is a constitutional right of the people. It nurtures democracy and opens paths to societal progress. Suppressing dissenting voices leads to intellectual decay and stifles growth.”
He urged the government to refrain from imposing restrictions on free speech and to ensure constitutional protection for journalists and media houses against non-state actors. “Only through such protection,” he added, “can the state’s narrative and the media’s professional responsibilities flourish hand in hand — a prerequisite for the strengthening of democratic norms in the country.”
He further announced that the Committee would convene on a monthly basis to continuously monitor, document, and report on press freedom and freedom of expression in Pakistan.
Representatives from various cities endorsed the Chairman’s proposal for regular meetings and assured the CPNE Secretariat of their commitment to report incidents from their respective regions that affect freedom of the press and free expression.
Issued by: Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors
