Version imprimable[October 2, 2025]
Joint press release
Government must end smear campaign against media and NGOs
Lahore, 2 October 2025. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the Women’s Action Forum (Lahore), Shirkat Gah-Women’s Resource Centre, South Asia Partnership-Pakistan, Simorgh, and the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) strongly condemn a recent advertisement sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that depicts journalists, NGO workers and ‘freelance’ researchers as potential instruments of ‘enemy propaganda.’ Framing civil society actors and independent media as part of an information war is deeply irresponsible and undermines the very freedoms that sustain a democratic society.
Independent journalists and NGOs in Pakistan already operate under highly restrictive conditions: frequent harassment, onerous registration and reporting requirements, arbitrary scrutiny of funding, and a climate of suspicion fostered by vague security narratives. Portraying their work as a threat to national security further endangers individuals committed to protecting rights and informing the public. Such narratives have been used to justify surveillance, intimidation, and even physical attacks on journalists and human rights defenders.
Urging citizens to report ‘suspicious’ NGO workers or reporters without any legal safeguards risks legitimizing arbitrary targeting, harassment and censorship. Additionally, framing digital technologies largely as a means of entrapment aimed at sowing ‘unrest, fear and chaos’ will compound the chilling effect on freedom of expression already instituted by the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and its amendments, among other laws. It will also discourage independent reporting and obstruct the vital humanitarian and rights-based services that many organizations provide.
We call on the government to withdraw this campaign immediately, refrain from conflating legitimate civil society work with hostile activity and prioritize an enabling environment where journalists and human rights organizations can function safely and independently.
