Pakistan is increasingly becoming a more authoritarian state, where the freedom of the media and journalists is under grave threat following recent developments in which several individuals have been either arrested on false allegations or forcibly disappeared by the country’s intelligence agencies. Since its independence in 1947, Pakistan has been a dangerous place for media personnel, and numerous laws have been enacted to restrict freedom of the press. However, the situation has become significantly more perilous under the current government in Islamabad, which operates on the directives of Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir. He has, on multiple occasions, advocated for limiting media freedom, particularly regarding social media platforms like X/Twitter, to suppress dissenting voices against Pakistan’s military establishment. While addressing the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on March 18, General Munir emphasized the necessity of transforming Pakistan into a “hard state,” where the military establishment will receive expanded powers to manage armed rebellions in the country without room for media criticism or dialogue with stakeholders.
Immediately following the special parliamentary session, several journalists and their families were detained in various parts of Pakistan. On March 17, Ahmad Noorani, based in the United States and working for a news outlet called FactFocus, published an investigative report detailing the consolidation of power by General Asim Munir since he assumed the country’s top military position in November 2022. Days later, Noorani was served with multiple FIRs under the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) due to his tweets regarding Balochistan. His report, which highlighted how General Asim Munir’s influence over civilian institutions had reached “unprecedented heights,” led to a midnight raid on his home in Islamabad on March 19, resulting in the enforced disappearance of his two brothers and the mistreatment of his mother. According to a petition filed in the local court, “It is quite clear that his brothers have been subjected to enforced disappearance as a direct reprisal aimed at silencing Noorani’s journalism.” The petition contended that the facts and circumstances surrounding the “abduction” of the brothers, “as well as the manner in which the abduction was carried out, indicated that the same is a state-enforced disappearance, perpetrated by [intelligence] agencies,” adding that the two were engineers and had no connection to Noorani’s reporting and investigative work.
In its statement on the incident, Amnesty International tweeted, “The absurd targeting of family members for the crucial work of a journalist based overseas is a blatant attack on the right to freedom of expression. This follows days after a case was filed against Noorani under the PECA on charges of cyberterrorism and disseminating false information for allegedly defaming state institutions.” This incident was not surprising, as Pakistan’s security agencies leave no room for dissent and have executed several raids in the past on the families of independent investigative journalists. More importantly, the civilian leadership and local courts are sufficiently compromised to conduct impartial investigations into these cases to avoid incurring the ire of the powerful Army establishment. Consequently, international and domestic human rights organizations frequently raise concerns regarding the flagrant abuse of power by the establishment. In Noorani’s case, Amnesty International urged, “The government must conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into their disappearance and hold those responsible accountable through fair trials. Pakistan must immediately cease the ongoing attacks and intimidation against journalists, activists, opposition parties, and their family members.”
In the second case, on March 21, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested journalist Farhan Mallick in Karachi due to the content of his YouTube platform’s videos. Mallick founded the media agency Raftar, which describes itself as a “dynamic platform dedicated to driving social change through the power of storytelling.” According to reports, Mallick was arrested for allegedly running “several programs against the security establishment” of Pakistan. Similar to the raid on Noorani’s family, the security agency entered Mallick’s office at night without prior notice and harassed him and his team for no reason. In December 2024, Mallick was prevented from boarding a flight to Doha and was detained at Karachi Airport for over five hours. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan demanded Mallick’s immediate release and a transparent investigation into the matter. The Karachi Press Club also strongly condemned the arrest, stating it was conducted under the Peca laws. “His arrest reinforces our fear that this draconian law will be used to silence journalists and stifle journalism in the country. He should be released immediately.”
In another case, Asif Karim Khehtran disappeared on March 13 from his home district of Barkhan in Balochistan province, and there has been no information about his whereabouts. Khehtran has previously claimed intimidation by the Pakistan Army. On March 16, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan posted a statement on X/Twitter: “Khetran had been facing persistent harassment from security forces due to his reporting. He endured months of intimidation, including home raids and escalating threats. Most recently, the Deputy Commissioner of Barkhan sealed his mobile shop—an act he described as an attempt to silence his voice. On March 13, he was summoned to an army camp, and since then, his whereabouts have remained unknown.” In all these cases, criticism of the powerful military establishment proved to be a red line for journalists, leading to house raids, enforced disappearances, and arrests.
Although the situation for press freedom in Pakistan was already dire, the parliament, under military pressure, passed the draconian Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025 in January, further worsening the situation. This amendment creates a criminal offense for those disseminating so-called ‘false and fake information,’ imposing a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine. As a result, there has been an increase in state-sponsored attacks on journalists and media outlets in Pakistan. As General Munir further consolidates his power through “hard measures” and transforms Pakistan into an authoritarian regime, whatever free media remains in the country will likely soon vanish. This unprecedented military control, coupled with a compromised government and draconian laws, will result in arbitrary arrests, violent raids, and enforced disappearances of journalists in Pakistan.