Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on 18 August 2026 called on Pakistani authorities to immediately release detained journalists and dismantle what the organisation described as a sweeping information blackout in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The demand comes as protests over electoral reform in the region have been violently suppressed, triggering a parallel clampdown on media coverage.

Scale of the Crackdown

RSF documented a rapidly escalating pattern of press freedom violations across PoK, citing internet outages, the blocking of international broadcaster Al Jazeera, arrests of journalists, travel restrictions on foreign reporters, and court summons. The organisation said these measures intensified in the weeks surrounding the PoK legislative assembly elections held from 27 July.

Celia Mercier, Head of the RSF South Asia desk, said Pakistani authorities appeared to have done “everything in their power to impose a veritable information blackout in the region.” She added that internet shutdowns, a surge in arrests, and prosecutions under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) revealed “a dramatic deterioration in press freedom in the country.”

Al Jazeera Blocked, New Foreign Media Rules Imposed

On 2 August, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting blocked access to the Al Jazeera website, accusing the outlet of sensationalised coverage of PoK. Just two days later, the ministry introduced the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, which RSF characterised as “new draconian guidelines.”

Under the new framework, foreign correspondents — including Pakistani journalists employed by international outlets — must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to report from any location outside Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. Accreditation can reportedly be revoked for broadly worded infractions such as “acts contrary to Pakistan’s ideology, sovereignty, security, or public order.”

Journalists Targeted Under PECA

Beyond PoK, RSF said legislation is increasingly being weaponised against media professionals nationwide. On 29 July, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) summoned freelance journalist Asad Ali Toor under Section 26A of PECA, which penalises the dissemination of “false information.” Critics argue the provision’s vague framing makes it a tool for silencing critical reporting.

Newsroom Pressure and Forced Departures

State pressure has also reportedly extended into editorial decisions at Pakistani broadcasters. In July, journalist Munizae Jahangir, vice chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, was forced out of Aaj TV after 11 years anchoring her programme Spotlight. RSF quoted Jahangir as saying: “There was external pressure putting the management under severe strain. The situation for journalists has never been so serious.”

RSF’s Demands

RSF has called for the immediate release of all detained journalists, full restoration of internet access in PoK, the lifting of restrictions targeting foreign media, an end to what it termed abusive legal proceedings, and the guarantee of the right to information. The organisation’s intervention marks one of the most pointed international rebukes of Pakistan’s media environment in recent years, and pressure from global press freedom bodies is expected to intensify if conditions do not improve.