Pakistan Restricts Al Jazeera After Reports on PoK Election Crackdown

Access to Al Jazeera’s English-language website has reportedly been restricted in Pakistan after the Qatari broadcaster aired reports about protests and elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Although several users said they could not access the website, the Pakistani government had not formally announced a nationwide ban.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting criticised Al Jazeera’s coverage, accusing the broadcaster of selectively reporting from polling stations in Muzaffarabad and misrepresenting the voting process. The ministry alleged that carefully selected timings and statements had been used to present a distorted account of the elections.

In a statement posted on X, the ministry described the coverage as “yellow journalism” and claimed it supported efforts by external actors to undermine the electoral exercise. The criticism followed extensive reporting by Al Jazeera from the disputed territory, which Pakistan officially refers to as Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

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The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern over what it described as deteriorating press freedom conditions in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The organisation cited reports of internet blackouts, telecommunications disruptions, restrictions on news gathering and the detention or disappearance of journalists amid ongoing protests in the region.

CPJ also raised concerns about independent journalists Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, who were reportedly taken from their Islamabad office by men wearing police uniforms on August 1. Their whereabouts remained unknown, according to the group. Kashmiri journalist Raja Ikram was also reportedly detained in Islamabad but was later released.

The press freedom organisation said reports that access to Al Jazeera had been restricted remained unconfirmed and urged Pakistani authorities to restore access to information and permit independent reporting. India maintains that the entire territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of the country and describes areas administered by Pakistan as being under illegal occupation.

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