Pakistan Press Foundation

The central office of the Geo and Jang media group was vandalized by a group of protestors on 21 February in Karachi. Some staff members were also beaten.

The Pakistan Press Foundation presents its 2020 report on the state of press freedom in Pakistan. It noted that journalists were still abducted, killed, arrested, and manhandled with impunity in 2020.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority prohibited broadcasters from airing speeches of an absconder or a proclaimed offender, which is widely believed to be an attempt to deny airtime to the country’s former prime minister. Reporting about a gang-rape incident has been restricted as well.

Journalist Ahmad Noorani started to receive death threats after publishing an investigative story about the business fortunes of close relatives of a retired army officer.

The Karachi Press Club said the “sanctity of the club had been trampled” after Pakistan Rangers entered their premises to conduct some security rehearsal.

The Supreme Court has taken notice of the abduction of the senior journalist and has asked the Islamabad police chief for a report on the incident in two weeks.

The new directive could limit TV coverage of COVID-19 and make it difficult for the electronic media to “present a responsible and accurate account of the situation that has been created by the pandemic and its impact on healthcare professionals.”

Jang and Geo said Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman was arrested because of their critical coverage of Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau.