LAHORE MIRROR (Staff Report) — The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) Press Freedom and Monitoring Committee has expressed deep concern over the worsening state of press freedom in the country and strongly condemned the unpleasant incident involving Jahan Pakistan Editor Farrukh Shahbaz Warraich, who was stopped by FIA officials at Lahore Airport upon his arrival.
The committee also condemned the threats received by senior Karachi-based journalist Imdad Soomro and the prolonged internet shutdown in Balochistan.
During a meeting chaired by Maqsood Yousufi, members stated that the situation has gone beyond restrictions on free expression, as the fundamental rights of journalists, lawyers, members of the judiciary, and various other segments of society are being systematically curtailed. They said that every forum is being intimidated, and objective reporting by journalists is being restricted through various pressures. Several newspapers and periodicals, they noted, are being deprived of their constitutional right to government advertisements—an essential lifeline for the survival and independence of the print media.
Committee members briefed the meeting that Farrukh Shahbaz Warraich was stopped by FIA authorities at the Lahore Airport and informed that his name was placed on the stop list. However, officials failed to provide any explanation for adding his name to the list. The lack of clarity has made it difficult for the journalist to have his name removed from the stop list.
Members further noted that in Balochistan, the police forcibly halted a press conference of Basak, while the province has been experiencing an extended internet shutdown for several days—severely affecting citizens’ access to information.
The Chairman of the Press Freedom and Monitoring Committee expressed regret that press freedom conditions this year have deteriorated far more than in previous years, and several incidents never come to light. He urged all committee members to report every incident they come across to the CPNE Secretariat so that it can be documented in the annual CPNE Press Freedom Report.
Those who attended the meeting included Maqsood Yousufi (Chairman), Ghulam Nabi Chandio (Secretary General), Zia Tanoli (Deputy Chairman), Yahya Sadozai, Arif Baloch, and Tahir Farooq, who shared their observations and concerns.
