August 6, 2025
By Rehan Piracha
QUETTA
The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) have expressed deep concern over a notice issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA) to senior Dawn journalist Akbar Notezai in connection with a year-old investigative story that had earned him acclaim.
The cybercrime authority has initiated an inquiry against Notezai on the complaint of an individual who claims the report was defamatory under the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). However, the story in question titled ‘Dawn Investigations: Crooked path — the Turbat-Buleda road’ was published on August 26, 2024 — well before the recent amendments to the cybercrime law came into effect.
In a strongly-worded statement, the BUJ slammed the controversial notice move as an attack on press freedom and a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression. “This unlawful action against Akbar Notezai relies on a report that exposed administrative mismanagement, abuse of power, alleged corruption, and violations of rules in Balochistan,” said BUJ President Khalil Ahmed and General Secretary Abdul Ghani Kakar. “Instead of addressing the issues raised, the state is attempting to punish the journalist who brought them to light.”
The BUJ leaders termed the use of cybercrime laws against journalists as a coercive tactic, warning that such actions could further erode the already shrinking space for independent journalism in Pakistan.
The BUJ expressed serious concern that despite all claims, the government has not stopped creating obstacles in the path of press freedom and is using petty tactics to prevent journalists from performing their professional duties.
They said that cybercrime laws cannot be used to suppress journalists. Under Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan, journalists have complete freedom in performing their professional duties. The issuance of this notice, along with violating this fundamental right, also reflects the continuation of government measures against press freedom.
BUJ leaders said that taking such action against any journalist under the Cyber Crime Act without judicial permission and transparent investigation also indicates misuse of authority, which the relevant authorities should take strict notice of.
In a separate statement, the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has strongly condemned the issuance of a government notice to senior Dawn reporter Akbar Notezai in response to one of his investigative reports, as well as the arrest of Sarfaraz Shah, the owner of Gadoshia Point channel and a journalism student at the University of Balochistan.
Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom and freedom of expression in the province of Balochistan, the CPNE President and Secretary General, in a joint statement, remarked that curbing these fundamental rights and arresting a journalist amounts to a blatant violation of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
They stated that the action against Akbar Notezai was initiated under the guise of defamation, based on a report published on 26 August last year, in which he had exposed administrative mismanagement, abuse of authority, alleged corruption, and other regulatory breaches in Balochistan. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Shah was reportedly detained simply for failing to submit a tenancy form — a pretext as feeble as it is telling.
The CPNE has called upon the government to immediately withdraw the contentious notice served to Akbar Notezai, and to demonstrate its long-standing commitment to democracy in tangible form. It also demanded the immediate release of Sarfaraz Shah.
Such actions, the CPNE warned, are casting a long shadow over Pakistan’s democratic credentials in the eyes of the world — and with good reason.
HRCP condemnation
Echoing similar concerns, the HRCP called the FIA notice part of a larger pattern of harassment against journalists and an attempt to muzzle critical voices in the media.
“HRCP is deeply concerned by reports that Dawn journalist Akbar Notezai has been issued a notice by the FIA’s cybercrime wing in connection with a story he published over a year ago,” the commission said in its statement. “Such actions contribute to a climate of fear and intimidation for journalists and raise serious concerns about the misuse of cybercrime laws to curb press freedom.”
The HRCP urged authorities to withdraw the notice immediately and respect constitutional protections for freedom of expression.
Akbar Notezai, known for his incisive investigative reporting on Balochistan’s governance and accountability issues, received an award for the very report that has now drawn the ire of the authorities.
Press freedom advocates and media rights groups have warned that the expanded scope of PECA, especially after recent amendments, is increasingly being used to target journalists, dissenters, and whistleblowers. They stress that legal instruments meant to tackle genuine cybercrime must not become tools of repression against the press.