• June 20, 2024
• Broadcasting, General News

On June 13, the Council of Complaints for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) directed the LTN Family to clear outstanding dues owed to journalists within 30 days, while other media houses facing similar complaints have been asked to present their stance in the next meeting. The Council issued the directive during its 89th […]

• June 20, 2024
• Access to Information, social media, Social Media

On June 14, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson criticized the government for what the party described as an “unconstitutional, illegal, and dictatorial” installation of a firewall that the party stated was intended to suppress fundamental rights to freedom of expression and access to information. It was reported that to regulate online content, the Government of […]

• June 20, 2024
• General News

On June 12, the federal government announced a health insurance scheme for 15,000 journalists — 5,000 in the first phase and 10,000 in the second phase — as part of the 2024-25 budget. During his budget speech, Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for continuing the health insurance scheme and noted […]

• June 15, 2024
• General News

On June 14, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa claimed he was a more senior journalist than those covering the Supreme Court, citing several articles he authored, including those published in Dawn. This claim was made during a swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected Press Association of the Supreme Court (PAS). The ceremony was […]

• June 15, 2024
• Freedom of Expression, General News

On June 14, anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan was released after a Lahore court discharged him in a new case. The court dismissed the latest charges against him due to lack of evidence, leading to his release by the Lahore police. The anchorperson was arrested on June 11 from the Allama Iqbal International Airport as he […]

• June 14, 2024
• Freedom of Expression, General News

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court on June 13 granted bail to poet and journalist Ahmed Farhad, leading to his release from custody on June 14.  Farhad had disappeared from his Islamabad residence on May 15 and reappeared near the AJK-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border on May 29 when the Islamabad High Court (IHC) heard […]

• June 14, 2024
• General News

On June 13, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) organized a seminar in Abbottabad to advocate for establishing of the Commission for journalists’ protection in Pakistan mandated under the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Professionals Act 2021. The seminar brought together journalists, media representatives, civil society members, human rights organizations, legal representatives, law enforcement officers, […]

• June 13, 2024
• Print Media

On June 12, the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) expressed strong opposition to the government’s decision to impose a 10% General Sales Tax (GST) on newsprint, urging the federal government to continue the exemption of GST for the print media. APNS, representing the country’s major newspapers, highlighted that the imposition of GST will significantly increase […]

• June 12, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has declared journalist and poet Ahmed Farhad a missing person until he reaches home safely and ruled his arrest unlawful, highlighting concerns about the procedures followed by law enforcement agencies. Kashmiri poet Farhad was reported missing from Islamabad on May 15 and later found in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) […]

• June 12, 2024
• Broadcasting

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on June 11 ruled that electronic media can report court proceedings, following the guidelines set by the Supreme Court. IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq Malik presided over the hearing of petitions filed by the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association, the Press Association of Supreme Court, and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists […]

• June 12, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

On June 11, a new petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court challenging the recently enacted defamation law in Punjab. The petition was jointly submitted by the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ). Amid heated debate and public outcry, the Acting Governor […]

• June 12, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on June 11 put a temporary hold on the enforcement of critical sections of the recently enacted Punjab Defamation Act 2024, as legal scrutiny over its constitutionality intensifies. Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq presided over the session that temporarily suspended Sections 3, 5, and 8 of the Act pending a detailed […]

• June 11, 2024
• Freedom of Expression

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 […]

• June 11, 2024
• Social Media

To regulate online content, the Government of Pakistan is installing a national firewall across various internet service providers (ISPs) to control and block unwanted content on social media. A well-placed official, when asked if the firewall had been purchased, confirmed to The News, “It is already bought. Now it is being installed and commissioned.”  Pakistan has […]