Islamabad, May 4 : Media bodies and civil society organisations have voiced concern over increasing curbs on press freedom and growing risks to journalists in Pakistan, local media reported on Monday.

In a joint statement released to mark the World Press Freedom Day, the Joint Action Committee â?? comprising the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AMEND), and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) termed the past year challenging for journalism, with growing restrictions around the world, the daily Dawn reported.

It stated that the state of freedom of expression has not been satisfactory in Pakistan. According to the statement, journalists in Pakistan face harassment, arrests, violence and increasing pressure from state institutions, while media outlets face editorial interference, demonstrating how outlets are being controlled at various levels and tactics being used, like government advertisements to get editorial control, limiting the right to information through censorship, and taking dissenting voices off air.

Meanwhile, civil society representatives issued an open letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where they mentioned that the media landscape in Pakistan was increasingly marked by intimidation, legal pressure, and economic vulnerability.

The signatories stated that World Press Freedom Day, meant to celebrate the role of a free press, was a reminder of the risks faced by journalists. They mentioned that a functioning democracy relied on strong institutions, especially on independent media committed to factual reporting and accountability, Dawn reported.

In the letter, the signatories spoke about the increasing pattern of harassment under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which they said was often used to silence dissent instead of securing convictions. In the letter, the signatories mentioned several cases in which journalists were booked under the law but later released due to a lack of evidence.

The cases included Islamabad-based journalist Asad Toor, who faced multiple legal actions over social media posts, and Farhan Mallick, founder of a digital news platform, who was arrested in 2025 on allegations of anti-state activity before being acquitted earlier this year. The letter stated that the acquittals demonstrated concerns that such prosecutions were often "fishing expeditions" for intimidation.

Last week, a report in Islamabad-based media watchdog Freedom Network detailed that Pakistan's media landscape saw a reduction in space for free expression during the past year due to increasing legal, regulatory, and economic and other pressures.

Titled 'Regulatory Repression of Freedom of Expression â?? Legal Controls and PECA Undermine Media and Journalism in Pakistan', the report stated that the amended PECA law is the most "consequential instrument" being used to restrict journalists and free speech practitioners in the country.

According to the report, the provisions of PECA law were increasingly being used in 2025 and 2026 to criminalise lawful expression, target dissent, and intimidate journalists, lawyers and political commentators. Freedom Network released the report to mark World Press Freedom Day, which is observed globally on May 3 each year.

"The weaponisation of PECA has created a climate of fear where journalists are compelled to self-censor to avoid legal repercussions," said Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak, while terming it as "one of the most serious threats to media freedom in Pakistan today".

The report has highlighted convictions of human rights lawyers, including Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, as examples of how custodial sentences were being used to deter dissent. Furthermore, dozens of journalists have faced charges under increased provisions of PECA, while defamation cases, regulatory suspensions and internet shutdowns have further affected independent journalism.

/IANS