The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has voiced strong objections to the newly enacted Punjab Defamation Act 2024, criticizing the Punjab government for a lack of consultation in the drafting process. Although the PPP is not formally part of the coalition government in Punjab, where the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) holds a simple majority, it has […]

On May 24, Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowed the live telecast of all cases related to enforced disappearances. This ruling came during a hearing on the petition for the recovery of the missing Kashmiri poet and journalist, Ahmed Farhad Shah, allegedly detained by an intelligence agency from Islamabad. A petition was filed by Shah’s wife on the […]

On May 20, the Punjab Assembly passed a controversial defamation bill despite strong opposition from journalists and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The Punjab Defamation Bill,2024, which allows for the establishment of special tribunals to address “fake news,” was passed by a voice vote after the government refused to delay voting despite requests […]

Police and local administration officials sealed shut the gates of the Quetta Press Club on May 18 in a move raising concerns about press freedom. The closure was reportedly an attempt to prevent the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) from holding a seminar at the venue. BYC members arrived at the press club only to find it inaccessible. […]

In the past few weeks, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led government at the helm of the federal government and in the Punjab province has demonstrated its lack of regard for the need to protect free expression online, presenting and approving different bills that increase the regulation of free speech online. Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is concerned […]

On May 13, the Supreme Court of Pakistan expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation into the abduction and harassment cases of three journalists, Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor, and Absar Alam. The court ordered the Islamabad police to appoint “competent officers” to conduct a thorough re-investigation. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa […]

Protests over high wheat and electricity prices have caused significant disruption in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) since May 11, leading to the suspension of internet and cellular services in various regions. Amid the turmoil, ARY News journalist Sardar Ayaz was injured while covering the events. Organized by the Awami Joint Action Committee (JAC), the demonstrations demanded lower electricity […]