ISLAMABAD, 28 December 2025 – A new report by the Pakistan media watchdog Freedom Network has unveiled a grim reality for journalism in geopolitically sensitive southern Balochistan province, where it says reporters are under siege from a multitude of threats, including violence, intimidation, and censorship from various groups.
The findings highlight a pervasive climate of fear that has effectively stifled free speech in Pakistan's largest province.
Titled “Journalism in Balochistan: State of Media Freedoms, Access to Information and Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals in Balochistan > Way Forward,” this report meticulously details the perilous conditions faced by journalists, who must navigate threats from separatist groups, security agencies, political elites, and local mobs.
Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak emphasized the dire situation, stating,
“Journalism is lost in Balochistan, where enforced and self-censorship prevail to stay safe and avoid any mishap.”
No new reaction from the Balochistan or federal government has been received on this report, but the governments in the past have said they uphold press freedom very dear.
The report paints a bleak picture of the media landscape in Balochistan, revealing that local journalists operate in a chronically constrained information environment. Financially fragile, the media is marginalized from national narratives, and journalists often confront coercive pressures that hinder their ability to report freely. The report notes that over the past two decades, 40 journalists have been killed in Balochistan, with many facing targeted violence.
Despite the rapid expansion of electronic media in Pakistan post-2002, Balochistan remains severely underrepresented. The absence of a terrestrial current affairs TV channel and limited coverage by national media outlets contribute to a lack of access to reliable information for the local population.
Digital divide and shutdowns
Pakistan counted 116 million internet users at the start of 2025
(45.7% penetration), but Balochistan lags badly at 15% penetration, with 60% of
the province lacking fiber connectivity, the report lamented.
“Prolonged, localized shutdowns — sometimes weeks or months (e.g., Panjgur since May 2025; post-attack blackouts in Khuzdar) — compound isolation, impede reporting, and create two starkly different digital realities within one country. Social media has, paradoxically, become essential for newsgathering and distribution while exposing journalists and citizen reporters to surveillance, takedown demands, and retaliation.”
Compounding these challenges are significant barriers for women journalists, who face mobility restrictions, harassment, and systemic sexism.
Gender in Media
Women journalists remained very few, largely confined to Quetta, and face layered constraints —mobility, hostile field conditions, newsroom sexism, pay gaps, lack of basic facilities (transport, washrooms, childcare), and harassment, according to the report.
“Editors often bar women from district
assignments for ‘safety,’ reinforcing stereotypes while still expecting output
without support. Women frequently work off-camera or have male colleagues voice
their packages.”
The report underscores the urgent need for stakeholders to address these issues and ensure the safety and freedom of the press in Balochistan.
As the Freedom Network calls for immediate action to reverse this alarming trend, the report serves as a clarion call for all stakeholders to protect media practitioners and uphold citizens' right to access credible information. The findings of this report demand attention and action to safeguard the future of journalism in Balochistan, where the battle for media freedom continues to be fought.
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