Journalists Face Sedition Charges Amid Media Blackout Over Chaman Border Protests

Chaman:* Chaman, a strategic city located on the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, has witnessed repeated protest movements in recent years. On May 15, 2024, an FIR was registered against journalists Ahmed Zahir, Bashir Dost, Habibullah, and Hazrat Ali Hayat, accusing them of gathering people outside the press club and attempting to incite the public against the police and the state.

Ahmed Zahir, a young journalist from Chaman, said the cases were aimed at intimidating journalists and preventing coverage of the Chaman sit-in. A gold medalist from the Department of Journalism, University of Balochistan (2020), Zahir currently works as an independent journalist. He claimed that since he is not a member of the Chaman Press Club, fellow journalists did not raise their voices in his support.

The Chaman sit-in began in January 2024 following the imposition of a passport requirement for cross-border movement on November 1, 2023. Previously, local residents and Afghan citizens were allowed to cross the border using Pakistani identity cards or Afghan tazkira. During the protest, paramilitary forces carried out crackdowns on three occasions, resulting in the deaths of three protesters and injuries to dozens.

Journalists covering the protests faced an unofficial media blackout, with restrictions on reporting by both local and national media outlets. According to the 2024 Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders, Pakistan dropped two places to rank 152nd globally. A report by Freedom Network documented 57 violations against journalists between November 2023 and August 2024, including threats, physical attacks, and legal harassment.

Quetta-based journalist Nadeem Khan said he covered the Chaman sit-in for international media despite the local media blackout. He noted that Balochistan has long faced security challenges due to ongoing attacks by Baloch and religious militant groups, making access to information difficult and increasing pressure on independent journalism.

Journalist Bashir Dost claimed he received threats warning him to stop covering the sit-in. “Is becoming the voice of the oppressed a crime?” he questioned.

Human rights activist and lawyer Najib Khan from Chaman stated that the FIRs against the journalists were registered on the orders of the Balochistan government with approval from the Judicial Section of the Ministry of Interior. The cases are currently under trial in a Quetta court. All four journalists are on bail, and no arrests have been made so far.

Najib Khan added that the FIRs include Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, the sedition law, which carries a potential life sentence. He termed the cases fabricated and based on false allegations, saying they are negatively affecting press freedom. Due to police delays, only four hearings have been held so far, and the challan was submitted months after the registration of the cases.

Journalists argue that such cases are a serious obstacle to free journalism, which is protected under the law and considered the backbone of a democratic society. They maintain that filing such cases undermines press freedom and discourages independent reporting.

Despite being on bail, the journalists say they continue to face pressure while reporting on ongoing border-related protests. A clear contrast has been observed between local, national, and international media coverage, with international reporters providing relatively freer and more detailed accounts of the situation.

So far, government officials have avoided commenting on the matter, and no official statement or version of events has been issued.