CPJ condemns Pakistan's ban on live coverage of terror attacks
Synopsis
Pakistan's PEMRA has ordered TV channels to stop airing live coverage of terror attacks, blasts, and 'unpleasant incidents' — effectively handing editorial control to security agencies. The Committee to Protect Journalists is demanding the order be rescinded, calling it a blueprint for official censorship. Coming days after governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and months after a foreign media NOC regime, this is Pakistan's most layered press crackdown in years.
Key Takeaways
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on 17 October 2026 demanded Pakistan rescind a PEMRA order banning live TV coverage of terrorist attacks and blasts.
The 13 October 2026 PEMRA notification reiterated a ban first issued on 20 February 2023 , requiring channels to broadcast only state-verified information.
The directive came just three days after the federal government imposed governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa .
CPJ representative Waliullah Rahmani warned the order risks turning safety safeguards into 'a system of official information control and censorship.' In August 2026 , Pakistan's Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026 were also condemned, requiring foreign journalists to obtain an NOC to report outside Islamabad , Lahore , and Karachi .
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on 17 October 2026 called on Pakistani authorities to immediately withdraw sweeping broadcast restrictions that bar television channels from airing live coverage of terrorist attacks, explosions, and other vaguely defined 'unpleasant' incidents, warning that the measures risk transforming security reporting into a mechanism of state-controlled censorship.
The condemnation follows a 13 October 2026 notification issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), which reiterated a prohibition order originally issued on 20 February 2023, barring news, current affairs, and regional-language satellite television channels from broadcasting or rebroadcasting live coverage of such incidents without verified clearance from state or law enforcement agencies.
What the PEMRA Order Says
The directive instructed all satellite TV channel licensees to 'refrain from broadcasting, rebroadcasting, and live coverage of any unfortunate/unpleasant incident such as explosion, blast, firing, terrorist attack, etc.' Channels are required to broadcast 'only such verified information, warranted by the concerned department/law enforcement agency,' effectively placing editorial control in the hands of security agencies rather than newsrooms.
Broadcasters face legal consequences for non-compliance, according to the order. Critics argue the broad, undefined scope of 'unpleasant incidents' gives regulators near-unlimited latitude to suppress coverage that authorities deem inconvenient.
CPJ's Strong Rebuke
Waliullah Rahmani, CPJ's Afghanistan and Pakistan Representative, said in a statement: 'Preventing journalists from independent reporting of major security incidents and requiring them to rely on information authorised by state and security agencies risks turning legitimate safety safeguards into a system of official information control and censorship. Pakistani authorities must rescind these sweeping restrictions and allow newsrooms to make responsible editorial decisions without fear of regulatory retaliation.'
The CPJ stressed that journalists and media workers must be able to report breaking news independently, without fear of legal retaliation, and in the public interest.
Political Context: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Under Governor's Rule
The latest PEMRA directive came just three days after escalating political tensions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the federal government declared a state of emergency and imposed governor's rule. The convergence of a deteriorating security situation and tightened media controls has amplified concerns about the independence of Pakistan's press during a volatile period.
A Pattern of Escalating Press Restrictions
This is not an isolated move. In August 2026, several media bodies criticised Pakistan's Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, describing it as a 'direct assault on press freedom' and an attack on freedom of expression. Those guidelines required all foreign journalists to secure a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MOIB) before travelling to any city outside Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi for news reporting.
Rahmani said the guidelines marked yet another 'appalling blow to press freedom in Pakistan, where journalists are already facing an intense crackdown' — particularly those covering unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The cumulative effect of PEMRA's broadcast ban, the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the foreign media NOC requirement paints a picture of systematic, layered curbs on independent journalism.
What Happens Next
Press freedom organisations are expected to escalate international pressure on Islamabad to roll back the restrictions. The situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains fluid, and further security incidents could test whether Pakistani broadcasters comply, challenge the order, or self-censor to avoid regulatory action. The international community's response — and whether diplomatic pressure mounts — will likely determine how entrenched these controls become.
Point of View
Governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the foreign media NOC regime — is not a collection of isolated regulatory decisions; it is a pattern. The vague 'unpleasant incidents' language in the PEMRA order is particularly telling: it hands authorities a catch-all instrument that can be applied selectively, well beyond genuine security emergencies. What is conspicuously absent from Islamabad's framing is any acknowledgement that live, independent coverage of security incidents is itself a public-safety mechanism — it informs civilians in real time. Pakistan now risks being cited alongside the world's most restrictive media environments at precisely the moment its internal political crisis demands greater transparency, not less.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has PEMRA banned in Pakistan?
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has banned satellite TV channels from broadcasting or airing live coverage of explosions, blasts, firing incidents, terrorist attacks, and other broadly defined 'unpleasant' incidents. Channels must instead broadcast only information verified and cleared by state or law enforcement agencies, under threat of legal consequences for non-compliance.
Why is the CPJ criticising Pakistan over this ban?
The Committee to Protect Journalists says the PEMRA order effectively transfers editorial control from newsrooms to security agencies, risking state-controlled censorship of security reporting. CPJ representative Waliullah Rahmani has called on Pakistani authorities to rescind the restrictions and allow journalists to report independently in the public interest.
When was the PEMRA order issued and what is its background?
The most recent PEMRA notification was issued on 13 October 2026, reiterating a prohibition order first issued on 20 February 2023. The latest directive came three days after the federal government declared a state of emergency and imposed governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid escalating political and security tensions.
What are Pakistan's Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026?
Introduced in August 2026, the guidelines require all foreign journalists to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting before travelling to any city outside Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi for reporting. Multiple media bodies condemned the guidelines as a direct assault on press freedom.
Who is most affected by these press restrictions in Pakistan?
Pakistani broadcast journalists and foreign correspondents are directly affected. According to CPJ, reporters covering unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and volatile regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face the greatest risk of administrative retaliation under the combined effect of the PEMRA ban and the foreign media NOC requirement.
