Pakistan’s press freedom environment has come under international scrutiny, with three prominent rights organisations accusing the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of allowing a worsening climate of intimidation, censorship and restrictions against journalists.
The groups urged the government to account for independent journalists Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, who were allegedly seized on August 1 and taken to an undisclosed location. The rights groups sharply criticised the government’s Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, describing them as draconian. Islamabad police have reportedly not acknowledged their detention, while their whereabouts remain unknown. The organisations demanded their release, access to lawyers and families, and an independent investigation into their disappearance. The guidelines require journalists working for foreign media organisations to obtain authorisation for assignments outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and give authorities broad powers to suspend accreditation on grounds including national security, sovereignty and public order.
They also criticised the reported blocking of Al Jazeera’s website.
The groups said the suspension of internet services in PoJK severely hampered journalists’ ability to communicate, verify information and transmit reports. Internet restrictions have also drawn criticism.
