ISLAMABAD: Journalists, critics and digital rights activists have criticised what they described as restrictions on access to the Al Jazeera English website in parts of Pakistan following the broadcaster’s coverage of election-related unrest and the security situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The federal government has not officially announced any ban on the Doha-based news organisation.
However, journalists, social media users and opposition figures claimed the website became inaccessible in some parts of the country after Al Jazeera published reports from Muzaffarabad on the ongoing AJK elections and unrest.
Earlier, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting accused Al Jazeera of biased reporting on the AJK elections.
In a post on X, the ministry alleged that the broadcaster had used selective reporting from polling stations in Muzaffarabad to misrepresent the electoral process, describing the coverage as “yellow journalism” that served the agenda of external actors seeking to undermine the elections.
The ministry’s remarks drew criticism from journalists and media rights advocates.
AFP correspondent Shrouq said on X that journalism disliked by the state was now being labelled as “yellow journalism.”
Digital rights activist Usama Khilji also condemned the reported restrictions, urging authorities to uphold press freedom. He criticised the alleged blocking of the Al Jazeera English website and said additional reporting restrictions on foreign correspondents further undermined media freedom.
Pakistani authorities have not publicly acknowledged restricting access to the broadcaster’s website.
Former Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) AJK-GB Zone deputy general secretary Sohaib Khan said restricting independent media would not hide developments taking place on the ground.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Faiza Murad alleged the government had tightened reporting restrictions on foreign journalists following Al Jazeera’s coverage of the unrest.
She said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had reminded foreign correspondents that, under the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, prior No Objection Certificates (NOCs) are required before reporting from areas outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
The reported restrictions come amid weeks of unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where protests led by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) have escalated into violent clashes with security forces.
The demonstrations, which initially focused on political rights, economic reforms, lower prices of essential commodities and greater institutional accountability, have expanded to include demands for the abolition of reserved refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
The unrest has also been marked by road blockades, internet disruptions and repeated confrontations between protesters and security forces across the region.
Protest leaders have claimed that dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured during the violence. However, Pakistani and AJK authorities have not confirmed those figures, and the reported casualty toll could not be independently verified.
