Pakistan
The threats to media have taken many shapes and forms throughout the history of Pakistan, and yet, the 2018 elections have brought along a fresh wave of challenges. From attacks on journalists to attacks on business freedoms of media houses resulting in financial and commercial repercussions, from organised hate speech against journalists to the use of cybercrime and other laws to initiate legal action, the press in Pakistan seems to be operating in a very restrictive situation. This rep...
Women, no matter which region, field or context they are in, are no strangers to self-censorship. The social constructs of "good women" globally encourage submissive, compromising behaviour from women, and self-censorship, especially in matters of importance, is generally encouraged. Pakistani women are no different. Censoring themselves, especially if their opinions are dissenting from the mainstream, is second nature. At home and within their families, censoring their fe...
Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD), our member in Pakistan, has published a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan to curb the spread of election-related online misinformation and ensure implementation of the Code of Conduct (CoC) for political parties in online spaces. We are republishing their letter here, in the context of political and religious violence i...
In October 2017, Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD) and its team of reporters started a journalistic endeavour to test the effectiveness of the right to information (RTI) laws in the federal capital Islamabad, and the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Between October 2017 and March 2018, the team filed a total of 195 records requests to different public bodies across Pakistan ...
In the last five years the legislative landscape governing the practice of the right to information (RTI) in Pakistan has improved tremendously. RTI was codified as a constitutional right of the citizens of Pakistan with the 18th amendment in April 2010. The right was granted through the inclusion of Article 19(A) which states: “Every citizen shall have the right to have access to information...
This statement was previously published by our member in Pakistan Media Matters for Democracy. Journalist and columnist Gul Bukhari was abducted by unknown persons on Tuesday 5th June 2018. After a few hours her family, who had earlier filed a missing person report with the police, confirmed through social media that she was back and ‘fine’. On the same night, another journal...
As many as 88% of Pakistani journalists said they self-censor in their professional work and are most likely to hold back information related to religious and security matters in their reporting and personal conversations, according to new research by APC member Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD). The study, Surrendering to Silence: An Account of self-censorship among Pakistani journa...
Surrendering to Silence: An account of self-censorship among Pakistani journalists is the latest publication by APC member Media Matters for Democracy on the state of freedom of expression and censorship among journalists in Pakistan. This study sets out to test the claims of self-censorship in the Pakistani news media through a survey of journalists working in the country. The study ...
"It's a sad day for rights activists: Islamabad High Court allows government to suspend mobile phone services," Pakistan-based rights activist Talal Raza said on 21 March, as Islamabad suffered from a network shutdown. The shutdown coincided with the rehearsal for the Pakistan Day Parade, to be held on 23 March, and has raised serious concerns among human rights de...
The right to privacy plays a critical role as an enabling right for the exercise and enjoyment of other rights, as well as for the free development of an individual’s personality and identity. It also protects and enhances an individual’s ability to participate in political, economic, social and cultural life. It is to be noted with concern that any violations or abuses of the right to priv...
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