t is no longer just the case of a journalist being handcuffed and sent to jail or a case being registered against a reporter for their work; it now appears that the whole media has been handcuffed or put on mute. It is often said that a nation and its press rise and fall together.

This makes me recall the days under a martial law, when journalists would be flogged. Today, even reporting news can be interpreted as a criminal offence and newsmen as criminals. Today, not only has the killing and kidnapping of journalists become less of a surprise; a significant part of journalism has been criminalised.

Just as democracy has not flourished in the country, the media has never been free to hold up a mirror to the society.

The Pakistani media faces multiple challenges: professional, ethical and commercial. Journalists face threats and pressure from various state and non-state actors as well as their own managements.

Professional ethics are key to healthy journalistic practices. Pakistani journalists have gradually lost much of their credibility as the fourth pillar of the state. To top it off, in some media organisations marketing managers have taken over newsrooms, effectively replacing the independent editor. This has been the most consequential disservice to the institution done by media managements.

Some people who entered the industry as proprietors and publishers did not understand the power dynamics between the government and the press; they thought that they could survive on government ads. The government exploited this ‘business model’ for their own purposes. No wonder allocation of government advertisements became a tool to penalise dissenting voices.

Looking back, it is difficult to agree on which has been the worst era in the country in terms of press freedom. There has hardly been a government tolerant of dissent (barring perhaps the brief period of Mohammad Khan Junejo). However, the control of the media seen today is surely unprecedented.

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, commonly known as PECA, is one of the most controversial laws threatening free speech. What used to be legitimate reporting has now been identified as a cognizable crime. A disturbing aspect of the matter is how successive governments (led by Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and now, Shahbaz Sharif) have sought to use the PECA (PECA 2016 to PECA (Amendment) 2022 and now, PECA 2025). Interestingly, all three when in opposition had promised to abolish the law; however, once in power, they used it against their opponents and the media.

In 2022, a (then) Supreme Court judge, Justice Athar Minallah, issued a short order striking down the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, PECA (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, declaring it unconstitutional. He observed, “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right and it reinforces all other rights guaranteed under the 1973 Constitution.” He also referred to Articles 19 and 19-A that protect a free press and the right to information.

“The criminalisation of defamation, protection of individual reputations through arrest and imprisonment and the resultant chilling effect violates letter of the constitution and the invalidity thereof is beyond reasonable doubt,” he added in his verdict on the petition by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists.

Over the following years, the PECA, first introduced in 2016 ostensibly to keep in check cyber and electronic crimes and to regulate social media, became a threat to freedoms of expression and the media.

In a strongly worded statement, the PFUJ while demanding withdrawal of cases against journalists, including senior journalist Fakhar-ur Rehman who had recently been arrested, observed that the PECA was being systematically used as a mechanism for arm-twisting of journalists and media workers. The PFUJ leaders argued that the law had been weaponised to create an environment of fear where discharge of professional duties was being treated as a criminal offence.

Last year, the government created the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, which now handles PECA-related complaints instead of the Federal Investigation Agency.

Social media pose different kinds of challenges for various stakeholders, including relating to misinformation and disinformation. However, the manner in which the government has tightened its grip on the mainstream media has raised several questions, including withholding of government advertisement for some newspapers and broadcast media for carrying stories in defiance of ‘advice.’ If factual information is not allowed to flow freely, it is but obvious that the resultant system will amplify disinformation.

There is no denying that social media and YouTube journalism are getting more popular. But if factual and verified information is not allowed on the mainstream media, it should be expected that all kinds of material, including disinformation, will make their way on other platforms.

Another challenge for the media is polarisation. This is not limited to individual journalists but includes entire media houses. In the process, not only does journalism become vulnerable to a lack of public trust but journalists also become more vulnerable to threats.

Pakistani journalists face enormous challenges—from harassment and registration of false cases, issuance of notices and summons to police stations to downright death threats. In this environment of fear, it is unreasonable to expect them to report freely.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Someone once said that every day on television screens, you see and hear a few journalists praising the government in a manner similar to how another few journalists praised the previous government. It is time for journalists to decide whether they want to come out of their professional, moral and ethical dilemma or remain in an ignorant lull. Challenges will remain but the struggle must go on.

The writer is a columnist and analyst for GEO, Jang and The News. His X handle: @MazharAbbasGEO.