Legal Grey Zone Leaves GB’s Journalists Exposed

Sehrish Kanwal

Gilgit: In the shadow of the Karakoram’s snow-capped peaks, journalism in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is anything but serene. 

Beneath the region’s postcard beauty lies a stark reality: reporters here work in a constitutional and legal limbo, without the basic protections their peers in other parts of Pakistan can claim. 

Every news assignment — whether it’s covering a land dispute, a border skirmish, or an honour killing — comes with risks that extend far beyond the newsroom.

Gilgit-Baltistan’s undefined constitutional status has left its journalists in a professional environment without legal certainty. 

Critical safeguards exist on paper at the federal level, but few have been adapted to the region’s distinct legal framework. 

Unlike Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, GB has no provincial Right to Information (RTI) law, depriving journalists of a formal channel to access public records. 

The federal Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, and the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, offer potential protections against censorship, harassment, and arbitrary arrest — yet neither is meaningfully enforced in GB.

The mismatch between laws and reality is glaring. Out of 376 laws in force in the region, 228 are federal extensions, but many fail to address local challenges. 

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) applies on paper, yet the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) lacks an operational presence, weakening cybercrime enforcement.

Legislative attempts to improve conditions have stalled before. 

In 2018, the GB Assembly introduced a Press Foundation Bill to provide welfare and institutional support to journalists. It collapsed amid jurisdictional disputes between the Assembly and the GB Council — and never became law.

The vacuum leaves journalists exposed to threats from state institutions, political factions, and powerful local groups. Senior journalist Faheem Akhtar says the environment is shaped by “political sensitivities, sectarian tensions, and the constant threat of digital harassment — all without a formal safety net.”

The threats are real and personal. 

In 2023, Daily Ausaf reporter Kiran Qasim received threats through Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp after covering an honour killing. 

Kiran reported the harassment to the Information Department and the Chief Minister’s Media Advisor — but no action followed. “I even tagged the FIA on Facebook,” she recalls, “but they responded with nothing more than generic advice.”

Without formal protection channels or safety training programs, journalists rely on informal networks for support — a system senior journalist Shabbir Mir calls “nowhere near enough.”

The pressures are not only physical but also financial. 

Many journalists, including salaried staff, face delayed or unpaid wages. “We often go months without pay,” says Shakeel Alam of Radio Pakistan Gilgit. 

Freelancers, meanwhile, say their press cards help media houses with branding but offer no material assistance. The strain is driving some out of the profession altogether. 

“My family wants me to quit,” says Ruksana Naz of Radio Pakistan. “Journalism is my passion, but I can’t survive on passion alone.”

Media experts warn the profession is at breaking point. 

Dr Akber Ali of Karakoram International University and Iqbal Khattak of Freedom Network argue that without systemic reforms, journalism in GB will become unsustainable.

They have urged the creation of a Provincial Media Regulatory Body to oversee local media and handle complaints, the adaptation of federal media laws to GB’s legal framework, the introduction of journalist safety training with support from media outlets and civil society, and the operational presence of the FIA to enforce cybercrime laws.

Former Gilgit Press Club president Imtiaz Taj bluntly said, “Journalism in GB is already difficult. Without proper legal and safety frameworks, it will become nearly impossible. The government must act now.”

Until such reforms are made, the region’s reporters will remain in a dangerous limbo — navigating sectarian tensions, political sensitivities, and financial precarity to keep the public informed, even when the law is nowhere to be found.

Sehrish Kanwal is a young journalist and documentary filmmaker from Gilgit-Baltistan with a gold medal in media and communication studies from KIU.