Pakistan Under Fire Over Press Curbs, Internet Controls: Amnesty Sounds Alarm

Published 7 August 2026 · world

News world Pakistan Under Fire Over Press Curbs, Internet Controls: Amnesty Sounds Alarm Pakistan Under Fire Over Press Curbs, Internet Controls: Amnesty Sounds Alarm Reported

News world Pakistan Under Fire Over Press Curbs, Internet Controls: Amnesty Sounds Alarm Pakistan Under Fire Over Press Curbs, Internet Controls: Amnesty Sounds Alarm Reported By, Last Updated: August 07, 2026, 15:40 IST The rights organisations have urged the Pakistani government to ensure that journalists, human rights defenders and civil society groups can operate without censorship Rapid Read Pakistan has introduced new guidelines restricting the movement and reporting activities of foreign media personnel across much of the country. Pakistan is facing renewed international scrutiny over restrictions on press freedom, access to information and human rights advocacy, with Amnesty International joining local and international civil society groups in calling on authorities to roll back what they describe as an escalating clampdown on freedom of expression. The rights organisations have urged the Pakistani government to ensure that journalists, human rights defenders and civil society groups can operate without censorship, intimidation or undue restrictions.

The appeal comes amid a fresh tightening of controls on the media. Pakistan has introduced new guidelines restricting the movement and reporting activities of foreign media personnel across much of the country. Under the new rules, journalists and Pakistani staff working with foreign media outlets require government permission to report from areas outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The move has drawn criticism from journalist organisations and rights groups, who say it could encourage self-censorship. The latest restrictions have come against the backdrop of intense scrutiny over the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where protests and a communications blackout have made independent reporting and verification of events more difficult. Amnesty International had last week called on Pakistani authorities to lift the internet and mobile services blackout in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, following reports of security forces using lethal force against protesters during regional elections. The organisation said the shutdown was severely hampering independent verification of what was happening on the ground.

The concerns extend beyond media organisations. Amnesty has repeatedly raised the alarm over the treatment of human rights defenders and activists in Pakistan. In recent months, it has documented cases involving alleged arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and prosecutions of activists, including Baloch and Pashtun rights campaigners. The civil society appeal therefore puts the focus on a broader question: whether restrictions that are justified by authorities on grounds such as national security, public order or combating misinformation are increasingly being used to narrow the space for dissent and independent scrutiny. Pakistan’s government, meanwhile, has defended the new media rules as measures intended to regulate and facilitate the work of foreign journalists rather than prevent reporting. But critics argue that requiring prior permission to travel and report across large parts of the country gives authorities considerable control over where and how sensitive stories can be covered.