Pakistan Continues to Persecute Journalist in Exile With New Arrest Warrant

December 25, 2025 – Pakistan – 

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned actions by Pakistani authorities that escalate legal pressure on a prominent journalist living abroad, underscoring persistent threats to press freedom and dissenting voices. An Islamabad court issued a new arrest warrant on December 3, 2025, for investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani, declaring him a “proclaimed offender” in connection with allegations that he failed to respond to summonses linked to social media posts the state alleges constitute “propaganda” against the Pakistani army. The warrant extends the reach of Pakistan’s legal system to Noorani despite his status in exile in the United States since March 2020.

Noorani, the founder of the investigative news site Fact Focus, has been the target of repeated legal actions in Pakistan following investigative reporting on sensitive political and military matters. His March 2025 investigation into the appointment of associates of the army’s chief, General Asim Munir, to senior positions — which raised questions about qualifications and influence — triggered intense scrutiny from authorities. Noorani told RSF that he was unaware of the specifics of the latest legal claims and emphasised that reporting critically on public institutions should not be criminalised.

RSF has also highlighted how Noorani’s family in Pakistan has faced severe repercussions linked to his work, including the enforced disappearance of two brothers for 33 days, the freezing of their bank accounts, cancellation of passports, job losses, and travel bans. These measures signal broader efforts to intimidate both journalists and their relatives. In response to this pattern, members of the U.S. Congress wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging consideration of sanctions against Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff for targeting critics abroad, including Noorani.

The arrest warrant aligns with wider concerns documented by press freedom organisations about the shrinking space for independent media in Pakistan. Journalists who report critically on state institutions, particularly the military and security apparatus, have faced arbitrary detentions, legal harassment, and censorship. Laws such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) have been used to pursue vaguely defined offences related to online expression, drawing criticism that such statutes stifle dissent and foster self-censorship.

RSF’s latest condemnation calls on the Pakistani state to drop what it describes as spurious charges, to halt harassment of journalists in exile and their families, and to respect international norms guaranteeing freedom of expression and journalistic independence.

Reference –

https://rsf.org/en/pakistan-continues-persecute-journalist-exile-issuing-new-arrest-warrant