Senior journalists, press unions, political leaders and civil society members have joined hands to form a united alliance aimed at protecting freedom of expression and expanding civic space in Pakistan. The move came during a roundtable discussion titled “How to Strengthen the Custodians of Free Speech to Expand the Space for Freedom of Expression?” moderated by Munizae Jahangir and chaired by veteran journalist Nasir Zaidi.
Speakers at the event warned that censorship, legal harassment, economic insecurity and digital restrictions are steadily weakening independent journalism. Hamid Mir pointed out that political parties must be held accountable for introducing restrictive laws. He mentioned hundreds of cases under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, including dozens against journalists, and called for a detailed white paper on the issue.
Mujeebur Rehman Shami stressed that Pakistan already has laws but fails to implement them properly. Sohail Warraich added that protecting free speech is a shared duty of society, political parties and media bodies. Najam Sethi described the current situation as deeply worrying, noting widespread self-censorship driven by media owners and the need for unified protest.
Asma Shirazi raised serious concerns about online trolling, especially against women journalists, while Arifa Noor urged better documentation of abuses. Representatives from Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan shared similar stories of threats, job losses and pressure. Many journalists have lost work due to the media industry’s financial crisis, with some channels cutting provincial teams to the bare minimum.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar defended the need for updated cybercrime rules, saying social media requires different oversight than traditional media. He claimed the Journalists Protection Commission is now functional and invited written recommendations from media bodies. PFUJ Secretary General Arshad Ansari insisted that only a strong, united alliance of journalist unions can effectively defend press freedom and called for coordinated action including a protest camp in Islamabad.
The roundtable ended with a clear message: without collective effort, the space for free speech will continue to shrink.
