The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed “serious concern” on Wednesday over the government withholding public sector advertisements from publications deemed “critical of its policies”, including Dawn.

During a three-day meeting in Islamabad on February 25, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists had (PFUJ) flayed the current government’s efforts to enact anti-media laws and target critical voices under the guise of stemming “fake news”.

It said that for the last seven decades, successive military and civilian governments had used government advertisements as a tool or bribe to promote their own fake news. It quoted the example of Dawn, which has been denied government advertisements by the federal, Punjab and Sindh governments because of its approach to reporting and critical editorials.

Meanwhile, the PFUJ pointed out that the government had declared official media such as Pakistan Television, Radio Pakistan and the Associated Press of Pakistan “strategic institutions”, while these entities were used for decades to promote pro-government “fake news”.

In a statement expressing a similar sentiment posted on X today, the HRCP said it noted with “serious concern that the government has continued to withhold public sector advertisements from some newspapers such as Dawn, deemed critical of its policies, as underscored recently in the PFUJ’s Islamabad declaration”.

At the same time, it pointed out that other newspapers “appear to have been favoured with significant government advertisements, including those presented as news in violation of journalistic norms”.

The HRCP reminded the government that it was “constitutionally bound” to protect people’s right to information, as well as their freedom of expression.

“Tacit censorship in the form of financial pressure must not be allowed to control narratives or undermine press freedom. By threatening the survival of independent journalism and critical editorial policies, the government is doing itself-and the people it claims to represent-an enormous disservice in the long term.”

Similarly, Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili said in a statement that the organisation “strongly condemns the government’s decision to withhold advertisements from Dawn newspaper in retaliation for its independent editorial policy”.

He said the “blatant attempt to stifle freedom of expression and press freedom” was “unacceptable”.

“We stand in solidarity with Dawn and vow to fight together against all efforts to curb the freedom of expression in Pakistan. The KPC will continue to advocate for an independent and vibrant media, which is essential for a healthy democracy,” he concluded.

Dawn, in an editorial today, highlighted that it has been denied advertisements by the federal and Punjab governments since last October while the Sindh government has also periodically withheld its ads for arbitrary reasons.

It noted that after the so-called ‘Dawn Leaks’, the paper’s circulation was blocked in large parts of the country, especially the cantonment areas, on the orders of certain individuals.

“Others may not always agree with its stance, but pressure tactics will not force Dawn to abandon principled journalism,” the editorial affirmed.