The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) today issued an urgent call to address the threats and harassment faced by women in the media in Pakistan. On International Women’s Day, PPF emphasized the need for a safer and more inclusive media environment, highlighting the necessity for women journalists to access equal opportunities without the fear of violence.
According to Pakistan Press Foundation report, the years 2024-25 witnessed numerous instances of attacks and harassment against women in the media. These incidents included online harassment, physical threats, legal notices, and targeted comments by political figures. Female journalists experienced smear campaigns and threats in digital spaces, with attacks often taking a personal and gendered nature.
GTV anchorperson Gharidah Farooqi became the target of online harassment allegedly by supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). In a tweet, Farooqi said that persons associated with PTI run campaigns against her every 10-15 days, and another such campaign had been launched against her. Farooqi said she had lodged a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Her personal information, including her home address and phone number, was leaked online.
In the wake of ARY News anchorperson Meher Bukhari’s tweet regarding PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, over 50 social media users have launched a barrage of attacks against the anchor. The Reporters. Pk Editor Saddia Mazhar became the target of a severe online attack after she posted on X about consultations between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – sparked by news of discussions about forming a coalition government. She reported that numerous accounts bombarded her with offensive and vulgar tweets, aggressively retweeting her posts. Despite her efforts to block these accounts, Mazhar continued to be plagued by a relentless influx of abusive messages.
In another incident, in April 2024, Geo News reporter Nadia Saboohi was targeted online by then Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Adviser on Social Welfare Mashaal Yousafzai. Her personal contact details were also shared online. Saboohi has shared the account of trauma that she experienced which she described as a “psychological war” aimed at silencing her.
In other instances, Absa Komal, host at Dawn News, received online threats after condemning a mob attack on the Christian community in Sargodha. On June 23, 2024, Benazir Shah, the editor of ‘Geo Fact Check,’ found her X account, formerly Twitter, compromised and faced abusive and misogynistic threats. In February of this year, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) co-chair and anchorperson at Aaj TV, Munizae Jahangir received threats.
In August 2024, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing arrested YouTuber and host Dr Umar Adil. The arrest followed a complaint filed by Gharida Farooqi alleging that Adil had made defamatory remarks against her.
Dr Adil, an orthopedic surgeon, while appearing on a podcast, referred to women anchors as ‘keeps’ while specifically naming Farooqi. Farooqi in turn served Dr Adil and the podcast host, Zohaib Butt, with a legal notice after which the surgeon was arrested.
Digital harassment and threats create a challenging environment for women in the media to work under. They create a fear of such threats, translating into real-world attacks. The psychological impact of these attacks cannot be discounted either. The constant fear of being targeted creates a hostile environment that discourages women from pursuing careers in journalism or speaking out on critical issues.
In June 2024, the FIA Cyber Crime Response Centre Lahore issued a notice to female YouTuber Arzoo Kazmi. In addition to online harassment, in 2024 and 2025, instances of physical attacks on female media professionals have also been documented. In May 2024, Zamzam Saeed, a reporter for GTV, was assaulted while covering alleged cheating at an examination centre in Karachi.
The PPF highlighted the detrimental effects of digital harassment, which create a hostile work environment and discourage women from pursuing journalism careers. The organization urged authorities to prosecute harassment cases and enforce workplace protection laws effectively. It also called on media houses to establish robust mechanisms to address harassment and promote women to leadership roles.
Political parties were urged to implement conduct codes to prevent violence against journalists and to condemn inflammatory remarks by their leaders. The PPF’s statement underscores the urgent need for systemic change to ensure the safety and empowerment of women in the media.