By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi
PESHAWAR: The Pakistani media is facing an unprecedented crisis, as highlighted in the Freedom Network’s annual Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom Report 2025. Released to coincide with World Press Freedom Day, the report paints a grim picture of a media landscape under siege by state repression, escalating legal restrictions, rising violence, and a shrinking space for free expression.
Titled “Free speech and public interest journalism under siege,” the report offers a stark assessment of the media environment between May 2024 and April 2025, warning of an “existential threat” to independent journalism in Pakistan. The report points to the controversial amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in January 2025 as a key driver of this crisis.
These amendments have made it easier for authorities to arrest, fine, or imprison journalists, both online and offline, intensifying the pressure on the already vulnerable media sector. Iqbal Khattak, Executive Director of the Freedom Network, described the current situation as one of the most repressive in Pakistan’s history. “This is no longer just censorship — this is an existential crisis. The very foundation of democracy is being undermined,” he said during the report’s launch.
The report provides chilling statistics on the state of media freedom in the country, revealing that five journalists were killed during the reporting year. Three of these deaths occurred in Sindh, while two took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Additionally, at least 82 journalists were subjected to threats, harassment, or violence. KP emerged as the most dangerous province for journalists, with 22 documented incidents, followed by Islamabad with 20, Punjab with 18, Balochistan with four, and one case in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
