While press freedom and the safety of journalists are under threat worldwide, the situation in Pakistan is particularly concerning. Since the introduction of the Pakistan Electron­ic Crimes Act (PECA), journalists have found themselves under the gov­ernment’s watchful eye, vulnerable to legal action for anything they post online. This law has already been used to target members of the press, further tightening the noose around free expression.

More alarming, however, is the increasing use of enforced disappear­ances—presumably by law enforcement agencies operating outside legal frameworks—to silence dissenting voices. This practice not only violates constitutional protections but also severely undermines free­dom of expression and the press. The recent disappearance of journal­ist Waheed Murad in the capital is just the latest in a troubling pattern where journalists are abducted, held incommunicado for days, and re­leased after so-called investigations and interrogations. Murad was re­portedly taken by plainclothes officers and members of various secu­rity agencies—without a warrant, without following legal procedures, and with the confiscation of his personal belongings.

Such actions are a clear abuse of power and a violation of the funda­mental rights enshrined in the Constitution. While no one is above the law, due process must be followed. If a journalist—or any citizen—is suspected of wrongdoing, there are legal avenues to pursue justice: a formal complaint, an investigation, and a court-issued warrant. By­passing these safeguards is not only illegal but also appears to be an attempt to intimidate and silence the press. Pakistan cannot afford to play a double game. It cannot condemn the killing of journalists in Gaza, the spread of hate speech, and the rise of Islamophobia in the West while simultaneously employing heavy-handed tactics against its own journalists. Such contradictions only deepen the perception of a state unwilling to uphold basic democratic values.

It is imperative that the government addresses this issue immediately—ensuring accountability for those responsible and upholding the rule of law. Without urgent action, press freedom in Pakistan will remain under siege, to the detriment of both democracy and the public’s right to know.