- WEB DESK
- August 3, 2026
Critics condemn reported restrictions on Al Jazeera in Pakistan
-
- WEB DESK
- August 3, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Critics, journalists and digital rights activists have criticised what they described as restrictions on access to the Al Jazeera English website in some parts of Pakistan following the broadcaster’s coverage of election-related unrest and a security crackdown in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The federal government has not announced any ban on the Doha-based broadcaster.
However, social media users, journalists and opposition figures said the website became inaccessible in parts of Pakistan after Al Jazeera published reports from Muzaffarabad on the ongoing election and unrest in AJK.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting accused Al Jazeera of biased reporting on the AJK elections.
In a post on X, the ministry said the broadcaster had used “selective reporting” from polling stations in Muzaffarabad to misrepresent the election and voting process, describing the coverage as “yellow journalism” that served the agenda of external actors seeking to undermine the electoral process.
The ministry’s comments drew criticism from journalists and media rights advocates.
AFP correspondent Shrouq wrote on X that reporting disliked by the state was now being labelled “yellow journalism”.
Digital rights activist Usama Khilji condemned the reported restrictions and called on authorities to uphold press freedom.
“Strongly condemn the blocking of AJ English website in Pakistan,” Khilji wrote, adding that new reporting restrictions on foreign correspondents also undermined media freedom.
Pakistani authorities have not publicly acknowledged restricting access to the broadcaster’s website.
Sohaib Khan, former deputy general secretary of the JKLF AJK-GB Zone, said restricting independent media would not conceal developments on the ground.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faiza Murad alleged the government had tightened reporting restrictions on foreign journalists following Al Jazeera’s coverage.
Murad said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had reminded foreign correspondents that, under the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, prior No Objection Certificates (NOCs) are required to report from areas outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
The reported restrictions come amid weeks of unrest in AJK, where protests led by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) have escalated into violent confrontations with security forces.
The demonstrations, which began broader demands for political rights, economic reforms, lower prices for essential commodities and greater institutional accountability, have expanded into abolition of reserved seats for refugees in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
The unrest has been accompanied by road blockades, internet disruptions and repeated clashes between protesters and security forces across AJK.
Protest leaders claimed that dozens of people had been killed and hundreds injured in the violence. Pakistani and AJK authorities have not confirmed the figures, and HUM News English could not independently verify the reported casualty toll.
You May Also Like
