Several journalists say they have been asked to impose near-blanket ban on the political party’s coverage ahead of February 8 elections.
As a member of the top management at a private news channel in Pakistan’s second-largest city, Lahore, Mehmood was used to getting non-stop calls and messages, even at odd hours.
The sender of the message on Tuesday morning caught his attention, prompting him to immediately pick up his phone. It was an official from the country’s powerful military, which has had a strong influence over Pakistan for more than three decades. The military has controlled most levers of power, even during periods of civilian government.
The official pointed out some election coverage and instructed not to use the flags of PTI or mention their affiliation with candidates backed by the party. Instead, they were told to identify the candidates only as ‘independent’ and not show which party they were related to.
Several journalists working in newsrooms of different TV news channels and web outlets have reported similar instructions, effectively imposing near-blanket censorship on coverage of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party ahead of the nation’s February 8 elections.
PTI, founded by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is widely seen as possibly the country’s most popular political party. However, Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 as he awaits trials over charges of corruption and leaking of state secrets – allegations he dismisses as being politically motivated.
Since losing a confidence vote in parliament in April 2022 and being forced out of power, Khan and his PTI have faced a crackdown. Tens of thousands of PTI members were arrested and hundreds of leaders have quit the party – many allegedly under pressure from the military.
The nomination papers of Khan and dozens of his party leaders for the February 8 elections were rejected by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Recently, the Supreme Court upheld the poll commission’s decision to strip the PTI of its election symbol – a cricket bat – forcing many of the party’s candidates to contest the vote as independents.
Pakistani media was already barred from reporting Khan’s speeches or rallies on TV. But now, the restrictions on coverage of the PTI appear to have become even more expansive.
No flag, no reference
As soon as Mehmood received the WhatsApp message, he shared it with his boss. After a brief discussion, the two issued a channel-wide notice to remove PTI references from all visuals, graphics and talking points, and identify its candidates solely as independents, with no mention of the party they represent.
A Lahore-based executive producer at one of the top news channels also confirmed receiving instructions from his management, which said that candidates endorsed by the PTI must not be identified as such.
“We are told to not even display the PTI party flag with their name, and to emphasize that they are only independent candidate”
Murtaza Solangi, Pakistan’s caretaker information minister, however, denied the claims. “We have NOT issued any orders like that,” he replied to Al Jazeera in a WhatsApp message.
The country’s media regulator, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), has so far not issued an official statement or order that concerns restricting coverage of any party.
Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, also did not respond to questions
Uneven Media Coverage
The focus on Khan and the PTI, along with the lack of coverage of their political messages, has resulted in election reporting that lacks the lively atmosphere of previous campaigns leading up to the elections.
A journalist remembers that last December, they had organized a segment where people in different parts of the city were asked to share which party they would vote for in the polls.
“The area where the public opinion was gathered strongly supported the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), with over 60 percent of respondents stating they would vote for them, and 40 percent naming PTI. Despite this, we were instructed by the management to drop it,” they said.
The PMLN is the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who recently returned from exile and has had multiple corruption cases against him dropped by courts, leading to speculation that he is the military’s preferred candidate in the upcoming elections.
A journalist based in Islamabad expressed concern that as the election day approaches, the restrictions to sideline the PTI and promote the PMLN and Sharif will become more severe.
“I personally believe that the orders to promote PMLN will increase, while PTI and its candidates, even if they are independent, will be pushed aside,” they said.
Mehmood, a senior official at the Lahore-based channel, stated that while there was certainly manipulation leading up to the 2018 polls, the situation is far worse this time, with little to no sense of “fair competition.”
“Back in 2018, we were never told to silence any party. Even when Nawaz Sharif was convicted and there were restrictions on him, his party and their candidates were still able to campaign. This time, there is no PTI or their symbol on the ballot,” Mehmood said.
“The coverage is completely biased now. There is no fair competition. The recent instruction to remove the candidate’s party affiliation or PTI flag means complete erasure, so people don’t know who the PTI candidate is.”
*Name changed due to concerns over potential retribution.
