Pakistan records 22 threats and violations against journalists in three months, with Punjab reporting the highest cases amid concerns over legal pressure and media freedom, reports Asian Lite News Desk
Pakistan recorded 22 cases of threats and violations against journalists between April and June 2026, with Punjab province reporting the highest number of incidents, according to a quarterly review by the Freedom Network.
The media rights organisation’s assessment showed Punjab accounted for 15 cases during the second quarter, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported three incidents involving threats against journalists.
Sindh and Balochistan recorded one case each, while Islamabad Capital Territory and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan also reported one incident each. The review did not identify any verified cases from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The report, released by the Freedom Network and cited by Pakistan-based newspaper Dawn, documented a range of violations against journalists, including six cases involving actual legal action, four threats of legal action, three arrests, three threats of physical harm and two threats to murder.
The review also recorded two cases of assault resulting in injuries, two assaults without injuries, and one case each involving attempted murder and kidnapping.
The number of reported incidents increased from 18 in the first quarter of 2026 to 22 in the second quarter, representing a 22 per cent rise in documented threats and violations against journalists.
According to the Freedom Network, one of the most significant trends during the April-June period was the continued use of legal mechanisms and state institutions to investigate, prosecute and pressure journalists.
The report said journalists working on digital platforms or covering governance, corruption and public interest issues were among the most vulnerable.
State actors were identified as the main source of threats in 15 of the 22 documented cases, highlighting concerns over the use of administrative and legal measures to restrict media freedom.
The findings come amid growing concerns among journalists in Pakistan over changes to media laws, particularly amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016.
In May, journalists called on Parliament to review media laws and described the amendments as a “draconian black law” that could be used to pressure journalists and suppress independent reporting.
A declaration issued at the end of the National Journalists Convention on “Media Laws, Regulations, and Ethics”, organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), demanded a review of laws that journalists said were inconsistent with Article 19 of Pakistan’s Constitution.
The declaration, known as the “Islamabad Declaration”, accused authorities of failing to honour assurances that media laws would not be used against journalists.
The convention also highlighted concerns over job insecurity in the media sector, with journalists raising issues over layoffs, lack of employment protections and the denial of benefits such as health insurance, gratuity and Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) registration.
Media workers said hundreds of journalists had lost jobs amid economic pressures and record-high inflation, calling for stronger protections and employment rights across the industry.
