A Pakistani rights body has used the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists to warn that reporters in the country face a growing mix of violence, threats and legal pressure. The Human Rights Council of Pakistan said on Monday that the pattern was linked to journalists' work, and argued that protection for the press was inseparable from the public's right to information and scrutiny of state institutions.

What the figures show

Citing a Pakistan Press Foundation report, the council said at least 31 criminal cases were registered against journalists between January and October 2026. Fourteen of those cases involved charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, it said. In the same period, nine arrests were documented, along with 62 incidents of physical violence or mistreatment and 24 cases of threats or harassment.

Separately, Islamabad-based watchdog Freedom Network documented the murder of two journalists between October 2025 and August 2026. One killing was confirmed as connected to the victim's journalism, while the motive in the second case remained undetermined, according to the council.

What the council is calling for

The council urged independent, effective and transparent investigations into killings and attacks, with families kept informed of progress. It also called for a review, in consultation with journalists, human rights groups and legal experts, of what it described as vague and disproportionately restrictive provisions in the cybercrime law. Without a climate free from fear, it argued, claims about press freedom would remain hollow.

Sources: IANS via hi INDiA; Nation Press, reporting the Human Rights Council of Pakistan statement and Pakistan Press Foundation and Freedom Network figures.