Pakistan Blocks Al Jazeera Reportedly After Coverage of PoK Protests, Electoral Process

Reportedly Restricts Access to Al Jazeera After Coverage of PoK Protests

Islamabad, Aug. 5 [VoM News]: A big news is coming from Pakistan that it has reportedly restricted access to Al Jazeera’s website after the Qatar-based broadcaster aired reports on the crackdown against anti-government and election-related protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The reports have surfaced after several users across the country took to social media that they were unable to access Al Jazeera’s English-language website.

Hoewver, Pakistani govt has not officially announced the ban, but it seems the coverage of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir protests by Al Jazeera was considered to be a decision.

Prior to this, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had accused the Al Jazeera for selective coverage, and reporting for misrepresenting the electoral process in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

In a statement posted on X, the ministry alleged that Al Jazeera relied on “carefully chosen timings and scripted statements” from selected individuals to present a misleading picture of the elections.

As Al Jazeera has covered the going protests in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, where several have been killed in direct firing, and Pakistan’s information Ministry labelled it “yellow journalism

Pakistan’s ministry also claimed the reports made by Al Jazeera were aimed at undermining the electoral process and the will of the people.

As India has maintained that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of the country and has consistently stated that Pakistan remains in illegal occupation of parts of the region. There is no second though about it, it was, it is, and it would an integral part of India.

Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed concern over the move, and cited the reports of internet blackouts, telecommunications restrictions, obstacles to reporting and the detention or disappearance of journalists covering the protests.

Journalists Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, who were taken by masked men wearing police uniforms from their offices in Islamabad.

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urges the authorities to immediate release of the disappeared journalists.