Pakistan has reportedly restricted access to the English-language website of Al Jazeera after the Qatar-based broadcaster published a series of reports on the crackdown against anti-government and election-related protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), as reported in NDTV.
Although the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has not officially announced a ban on the broadcaster, several users across Pakistan have claimed on social media that they are unable to access Al Jazeera’s website, prompting speculation that access has been blocked.
At the same time, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting accused the broadcaster of presenting a distorted picture of the elections in the region. In a statement posted on X, the ministry alleged that Al Jazeera had selectively reported from specific polling stations in Muzaffarabad and relied on carefully chosen timings and individuals to misrepresent the electoral process.
The ministry further alleged that the broadcaster’s coverage amounted to yellow journalism and claimed it was aimed at undermining the credibility of the elections. It also accused unnamed external actors of attempting to delegitimise the electoral exercise despite what Islamabad described as a public rejection of violence and coercion during the polls.
Pakistan refers to the territory under its control as “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” (AJK), while India maintains that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country. New Delhi has consistently maintained that Pakistan remains in illegal and forcible occupation of parts of the region.
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticised Pakistan over what it described as a worsening crackdown on press freedom in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The media watchdog expressed concern over reports of internet shutdowns, telecommunications restrictions, limitations on independent reporting and the detention or disappearance of journalists covering the unrest.
CPJ also raised alarm over the reported disappearance of independent journalist Razi Tahir and his colleague Muhammad Saif, who were allegedly taken from their office in Islamabad by men wearing police uniforms on August 1. The organisation said their whereabouts remained unknown and urged Pakistani authorities to clarify whether they were in state custody, ensure due process and release them if they had been arbitrarily detained.
The organisation further noted that Kashmiri journalist Raja Ikram, who had reportedly been detained in Islamabad on the same day, was later released.
In addition, CPJ said it had received unconfirmed reports suggesting that access to Al Jazeera had been restricted in Pakistan following the broadcaster’s reporting from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It also pointed to continuing internet blackouts and severe telecommunications disruptions across the region, which media reports indicate have been in place since June 5, describing them as part of a broader pattern of restrictions on the free flow of information.
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