Lawfare Against Journalists Warned in New Report
Pakistan remained deeply hostile to journalism and its practitioners in 2025-26, despite a decline in documented violations against media workers. That is the central finding of a new report by Freedom Network, an Islamabad-based media watchdog.
The report is titled “From Violence to Lawfare: Process as Punishment for Journalists”. It is Freedom Network’s latest annual Impunity Report, covering the period from October 2025 to August 2026. Journalist Adnan Rehmat authored it, with Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak. International Media Support provided technical assistance.
“About 10 cases a month [against media personnel], their nationwide spread and severity in the period showed that fewer violations did not mean greater safety,” the report stated. It finds that impunity has evolved from a failure to punish violence into a broader system of coercion.
What the report counted
Freedom Network documented 97 attacks and other violations against journalists and media institutions between October 2025 and August 2026. That total was down from 142 in the previous cycle. The report warns, however, that the lower total does not mean journalists are safer.
The cases included one work-related killing and three attempted assassinations. They also included 18 threats of murder or harm, 11 assaults, 13 legal actions and 32 threats of legal action.
Punjab recorded 49 cases, just over half the total. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed, then Islamabad and Balochistan. Digital and independent journalists were targeted most often.
Victims or their families identified government authorities and officials as alleged instigators in nearly two-thirds of the cases.
How lawfare against journalists works
The report identifies the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and its increasing use against journalists by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) as central to what it calls a legal siege of online journalism in the country.
A detailed analysis of representative Peca-related cases reveals a recurring pattern. Allegations of defamation, false information, harassment or reputational harm are channelled through cybercrime procedures. This happens in cases involving reporting on public expenditure, corruption or official conduct.
Even without a confirmed first information report (FIR) or conviction, the process itself becomes punitive, the report says. Summonses, device scrutiny, travel, legal costs, detention, repeated hearings and reputational harm all add up.
The financial and professional costs of defending their work encourage self-censorship, the watchdog warned.
Safety commissions under scrutiny
The report was released on Thursday, ahead of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed on November 2 each year.
“Despite the presence on the statute books of two laws to combat impunity for crimes against journalists, such a finding should be a matter of concern for those at the helm of affairs of the two safety commissions established under these laws,” Mr Khattak said.
The report expresses concern over the lack of institutional safeguards for media workers.
“The federal journalist protection mechanism is effectively dysfunctional, while the Sindh Commission, although more visible, has limited reach and demonstrated protection impact outside Karachi,” it says.
The report also provides guidelines for journalists facing Peca-related cases.
What this means for readers in Pakistan
The shift from violence to legal pressure changes how press freedom is threatened, but it does not reduce the effect. A summons, a seized phone or a long court case is quieter than an assault, yet it can still stop a story from being published.
The NCCIA has featured in other recent coverage as well. Feature Pakistan reported that the agency’s actions are a recurring part of the online regulation debate, including in its report on how X and YouTube ignored most Pakistan content requests. The new Freedom Network report puts that agency at the centre of its findings on press freedom.
For ordinary readers, the stakes are practical. When reporters covering public spending or official conduct face legal costs and repeated hearings, fewer such stories get written.
The government did not immediately respond to the report in the coverage available at the time of writing.
What happens next
With November 2 approaching, journalist groups are likely to cite its figures at impunity-day events.
The original report on these findings was published by Dawn.
What is lawfare against journalists?
Lawfare means using legal procedures, such as cybercrime cases, summonses and repeated hearings, to punish or deter journalism, even without a conviction.
