Islamabad, March 18 (IANS) Pakistan's habit to control media internally seems to be evolving into an effort to influence independent media in other parts of the world, a report has indicated highlighting Islamabad's growing efforts to deliberately suppress independent, fact based reporting that exposes its internal contradictions, security failures, and political vulnerabilities.

"Pakistan’s long running attempts to shape media narratives are no longer limited to its domestic press environment. Increasingly, they appear to extend beyond its borders, targeting international reporting that challenges the state’s preferred version of events. The pattern is familiar: when coverage aligns with official interests, it is amplified; when it exposes internal instability, it is disputed, pressured, or politically resisted," Dimitrastaikou, a European political analyst and international affairs journalist, wrote in Medium.

Journalists in Pakistan, he elaborated, have faced pressure for years, and that pressure has further increased. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said authorities in 2025 continued to suppress dissenting voices, while Committee to Protecting Journalists (CPJ) and other press-freedom groups have mentioned about rising legal harassment, intimidation, surveillance, and threats against journalists. The 2025 amendments to Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) were criticised for allowing the State to have more power over online speech.

After a State is used to having control on information at home, it often starts to resent the media outlets it cannot control abroad. International media have reported about Pakistan's worsening security situation, including highlighting the situation of Balochistan, the activity of separatists and continued attacks on Pakistani forces by Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP). The reporting of these issues have drawn attention to the erosion of internal stability, a theme that is against Pakistan's effort to project control and resilience. Such reporting appears to have become a growing source of discomfort for Pakistani officials.

"That context gives added significance to the February 24, 2026 visit to Qatar by a Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar was also a part of it. Officially, the visit was part of broader bilateral engagement. Yet its timing, amid heightened sensitivity over international coverage of Pakistan’s internal security troubles, has prompted scrutiny. The central concern is not merely diplomatic contact with Qatar, but the possibility that Islamabad sought to register its displeasure with Al Jazeera’s reporting and encourage more favourable framing. Whether framed as outreach, lobbying, or objection, the underlying impulse reflects a broader effort to influence coverage beyond Pakistan’s own jurisdiction," wrote Dimitrastaikou.

After suppressing domestic media and allowing only narratives that are in accordance with the official line, Pakistan has also launched multiple English-language news channels which have hired international reporters and anchors. Outlets headquartered in Karachi were launched to present Pakistan’s narratives to the global audience with an appearance of credibility and authenticity. By hiring international news professionals to report on internal issues, Pakistan wants to control the framing of stories.

"Taken together, these developments point to a broader and more troubling trend. Pakistan’s record of controlling journalism at home appears to be evolving into an effort to contest and influence independent reporting abroad. The issue is no longer simply domestic media repression. It is the projection of that same mindset onto the international information space. On one hand, international platforms can be used to elevate narratives that reinforce Pakistan’s strategic messaging, on the other, outlets that foreground insurgency, internal fragility, and governance failures can quickly become targets of political discomfort and pressure," wrote Dimitrastaikou.

"The common thread is not the ideology of the outlet, but the usefulness of the story to the state. In the end, the larger implication is clear: Pakistan appears to be deliberately trying to suppress independent, fact based reporting that exposes its internal contradictions, security failures, and political vulnerabilities. When reporting aligns with the state, it is celebrated. When it is grounded in facts that challenge the official line, it becomes a problem to be managed. It suggests that Pakistan is not merely contesting criticism, but attempting to curb the space for independent journalism itself," the analyst added.

--IANS

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