Living in Fear: How Pakistan’s State Control is Crushing Press Freedom and Silencing Journalists in PoJK

New Delhi: In Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the print media sector is in dire straits, with a number of newspapers closing, circulation falling, and journalists battling financial exploitation and government-imposed limitations.    

Despite Pakistan’s claims of being the protector of press freedom on the global stage, the situation in PoJK reflects the opposite, marked by neglect, systemic abuse, and tightening censorship.   

Newspapers that used to circulate between 10,000 and 15,000 copies a day are now barely managing 900 in Muzaffarabad, which was once a center of print journalism. Journalists are being compelled to work under pressure to follow the official state narrative, denied fair compensation, and fired without warning.

Journalist Ishtiyaq Ahmad of PoJK stated, "The print media scenario has reached a very critical point." "In Muzaffarabad, the cumulative number of newspapers being printed is below 1,000. Previously, this number ranged from 10,000 to 15,000. Now, circulation has dwindled to just 800-900 copies."

Media house owners continue to make money while reporters and editors suffer. They are accused of falsifying circulation numbers in order to obtain large government subsidies, which hardly ever help workers. Ahmad highlighted out that owners "receive considerable amounts from the government each year, yet they find it extremely challenging to compensate their workers. The relationship between journalists and owners is fundamentally strained, and their attitude towards the media is intolerable."

He also called on authorities to step in. "The government should take action to bridge the gap between newspaper owners and journalists. There should be a set minimum wage of Rs. 40,000. Journalists deserve their salaries and commissions; they are human beings with families to support."

Even minor deviations from the official line can cost reporters their jobs, leaving the local population further deprived of independent voices. "What is happening in PoJK transcends media mismanagement; it is state-endorsed oppression," Ahmad stated. "The Pakistani establishment has not implemented any protections for journalists. Instead, it has fostered a climate of fear, financial hardship, and censorship."

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