Pakistan Archives - Page 9 of 75 - Committee to Protect Journalists

News broadcasts are seen on televisions in Karachi, Pakistan, on July 26, 2018. The country's media regulator recently issued mixed messages regarding news anchors' abilities to express their opinions. (Reuters/Akhtar Soomro)

Pakistan media regulator walks back ban on news anchors expressing personal opinions

October 28, 2019 1:35 PM EDT

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 Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler was recently denied entry to Pakistan.

Pakistan denies entry to CPJ’s Steven Butler, forces him to return to US

October 17, 2019 4:20 PM EDT

New York, October 17, 2019 — Last night, Pakistani immigration authorities denied entry to CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler, citing a blacklist managed by the Ministry of Interior.

A newspaper vendor is seen in Karachi, Pakistan, on October 7, 2018. The country is currently considering establishing courts specifically for media-related issues. (Reuters/Akhtar Soomro)

CPJ concerned about Pakistan media court initiative

September 18, 2019 11:13 AM EDT

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.

Najam Sethi is seen in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 21, 2014. Sethi's TV program was recently cancelled after receiving complaints from Prime Minister Imran Khan. (AP/K.M. Chaudary)

Pakistani news program cancelled amid defamation suits from prime minister

August 21, 2019 4:20 PM EDT

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.

The offices of Geo News are seen in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 11, 2018. The network was recently blocked in many parts of the country. (Reuters/Akhtar Soomro)

Pakistani broadcaster Geo News blocked amid prime minister’s visit to Washington

July 21, 2019 10:55 AM EDT

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…

Televisions are seen in Karachi, Pakistan, on June 11, 2019. Three TV news channels were recently blocked in the country. (AFP/Asif Hassan)

TV news channels blocked in Pakistan after airing opposition speeches

July 9, 2019 2:00 PM EDT

Washington, D.C., July 9, 2019 — Pakistan authorities should immediately unblock broadcasts of privately owned news channels Capital TV, 24 News HD, and the Abbtakk News Network, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Pakistani police officers are seen in Islamabad on February 17, 2019. Journalist Muhammad Bilal Khan was recently stabbed to death in Islamabad. (AP/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistani journalist Muhammad Bilal Khan stabbed to death in Islamabad

June 19, 2019 5:00 PM EDT

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.

A Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) rally in Karachi, Pakistan, on May 13, 2018. A Pakistani reporter was detained in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 28, 2019, after covering PTM demonstrations. (Reuters/Akhtar Soomro)

Pakistani reporter Gohar Wazir detained in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after covering Pashtun demonstrations

May 28, 2019 5:38 PM EDT

Washington, D.C., May 28, 2019–Pakistani authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Gohar Wazir, a reporter with private satellite TV station Khyber News, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Pakistani journalists protest layoffs outside a press club in Karachi on December 17, 2018. Pakistan's military and security agencies exert pressure on local media, while the government slashes its advertising budget, squeezing a key source of revenue for private newspapers and TV stations. (AP/Fareed Khan)

Proposed media regulator provokes strong criticism in Pakistan

April 8, 2019 5:48 PM EDT

Pakistani journalists are a fractious lot. The unions have split into competing factions. TV networks snap at each other on air. So it takes something really threatening to prompt journalists to come to a common point of view. That’s happened as the government’s latest plan to create a new media regulatory body has provoked a…

Osama Rizi, son of journalist Rizwan-ur-Rehman Razi, displays a calendar with pictures of his father outside his residence in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. Pakistani authorities detained Razi, who allegedly criticized state agencies on traditional and social media, officials said Saturday. (AP/K.M. Chaudary)

Pakistani journalist arrested for critical Twitter posts

February 9, 2019 1:26 PM EST

Washington, D.C., February 9, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Pakistani authorities to immediately release and drop all legal proceedings against Rizwan-ur-Rehman Razi, a TV host for Din News, a privately-owned Urdu-language news station. Razi was arrested and taken into custody this morning in Lahore, according to news reports and CPJ reporting.