Pakistan has reportedly blocked access to Al Jazeera after the influential Qatari broadcaster released a series of reports on Islamabad’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protests and election-related protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif-led government has not announced any formal ban on the broadcaster so far, but multiple users across Pakistan have taken to social media claiming they were unable to access Al Jazeera’s English-language website.
Pakistan’s Information & Broadcasting (I&B) ministry has, meanwhile, criticised Al Jazeera’s “selective reporting,” accusing the media organisation of “misrepresenting” the elections and the voting process.
“We have taken note of Al Jazeera’s selective reporting from handpicked polling stations in Muzaffarabad today. Through carefully chosen timings and scripted statements from selected individuals, the channel has sought to misrepresent the AJK elections and the voting process,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its X handle.
Islamabad refers to the illegally occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir as ‘Azad’ Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Pakistan also accused the Qatari media outlet of doing ‘yellow journalism”– a term which refers to reports that are written in an exaggerated way in order to shock the readers.
“Such yellow journalism only confirms the agenda of external actors with vested interests who are attempting to delegitimise this electoral exercise and undermine the popular will of the people of Muzaffarabad and AJK, clearly demonstrated today in their rejection of anarchy and coercion,” it said.
India’s Stand On PoK
The criticism came shortly after Al Jazeera aired extensive reporting from the disputed region. India maintains that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of it. New Delhi also asserts that Pakistan has been in “illegal and forcible occupation” of parts of these Union Territories.
The Criticism
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has, meanwhile, slammed Pakistan for a systematic crackdown on news gathering, citing ongoing communications shutdowns and state-imposed reporting barriers.
“CPJ is monitoring the deteriorating press freedom conditions in Pakistan-administered Kashmir amid ongoing protests. Reports of internet blackouts, telecommunications shutdowns, restrictions on reporting, and the detention and disappearance of journalists are deeply concerning. Pakistani authorities must immediately end the crackdown on journalists, restore access to information, and allow independent reporting,” the group said in a post on X.
The press freedom body expressed particular urgency regarding the safety of media personnel operating in the region, including the reported disappearance of journalists seized by uniformed personnel in Islamabad.
“CPJ is deeply concerned by reports that independent journalist Razi Tahir and his colleague Muhammad Saif have been missing since August 1. They were reportedly taken by men in police uniforms from their office in Islamabad, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Pakistani authorities must acknowledge whether they are in state custody, ensure due process, and immediately release them if they are being arbitrarily detained,” it wrote.
“Journalists Razi Tahir and Muhmmad Saif remain missing after reportedly being taken by men in police uniform on August 1. Pakistani authorities must acknowledge their detention if they are in state custody, ensure due process, and immediately release them. Kashmiri journalist Raja Ikram, who was reportedly detained in Islamabad on August 1, was later released,” it added.
CPJ also noted that media censorship appears to be extending beyond regional borders, pointing to reported state actions against major news outlets and long-running telecom disruptions.
“Separately, unconfirmed reports suggest access to Al Jazeera has been restricted in Pakistan after the outlet reported from Kashmir on August 1. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting accused the broadcaster of “yellow journalism.” Media reports also indicate that a partial internet blackout and severe telecommunications restrictions have been in place across Pakistan-administered Kashmir since June 5.
