‘Journalists compelled to self-censor to avoid legal trouble’

<p>ISLAMABAD: The weaponisation of the country’s cybercrime laws is one of the most serious threats to media freedom in Pakistan, press freedom watchdog Freedom Network said.</p> <p>In its <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.fnpk.org/weaponized-peca-undermining-free-speech-journalism-in-pakistan-freedom-network-report/">report</a>, <em>Regulatory Repres­sion of Freedom of Expression</em> — Legal Controls and Peca Undermine Media and Journalism in Pakistan, the watchdog said that amendments to the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1470910659_707.pdf">Prevention of Elec­tronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 </a>had created a climate of fear, where journalists are compelled to self-censor to avoid legal repercussions.</p> <p>The report was released to mark World Press Freedom Day, observed globally on May 3.</p> <p>The report highlighted high-profile convictions of human rights lawyers, including<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1996526"> Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha,</a> as examples of how custodial sentences were used to deter dissent.</p> <blockquote class="blockquote-level-1"> <p>Freedom Network report says custodial sentences being used to deter dissent</p> </blockquote> <p>In addition, dozens of journalists have faced charges under expanded provisions of Peca, while defamation suits, regulatory suspensions and internet shutdowns further constrained independent journalism.</p> <p>The report also notes that state-led efforts to counter disinformation and hate-speech are often accompanied by increased surveillance and selective enforcement. Regulatory bodies monitoring online content, coupled with vague definitions of “fabricated news,” blur the line between misinformation and legitimate dissent.</p> <p>In terms of journalist safety, the report documented at least 129 verified incidents of violations during the review period, which ranged between April-2025 and March-2026. Legal threats and physical violence accounted for nearly two-thirds of these cases.</p> <p>Among these violations include two murders, five cases of threats to murder, 58 legal cases (mostly Peca-invoked), 16 cases of assault, 11 cases of threats to harm and two cases of kidnapping and enforced disappearance.</p> <p>Punjab and Khyber Pakhtun­khwa emerged as the most dangerous regions for journalists, while murders in Sindh and Balochistan underscored the persistent risks.</p> <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2026</em></p>