https://arab.news/r6rw7
- Muhammad Akbar Notezai has been reportedly targeted over a year-old investigative story on Balochistan
- Journalists say newspaper reports, articles should not fall under the jurisdiction of the cybercrime agency
KARACHI: Pakistan’s media community on Wednesday condemned a notice issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to a local journalist, Muhammad Akbar Notezai, calling it a direct assault on press freedom.
According to reports, the notice stemmed from an investigative report Notezai published in Dawn newspaper more than a year earlier, probing allegations of administrative mismanagement, misuse of authority, and corruption in Balochistan.
Established last year in May, to replace the cyber‑crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the NCCIA has drawn criticism for its expanding scope and its involvement in cases traditionally outside its mandate.
“Investigative journalism in Pakistan has witnessed a steady decline over the years, largely due to increasing censorship,” Fazil Jamili, President of Karachi Press Club, told Arab News. “In this environment, the work of journalists like Akbar Notakzai becomes all the more vital.”
Jamili said Notezai’s reporting consistently reflected rigorous research, professional integrity and the highest journalistic standards.
“It is deeply alarming that a journalist of his caliber is now being targeted by a state institution,” he added. “Such actions not only undermine press freedom but also discourage much-needed investigative reporting.”
Reacting to the development, veteran journalist Mazhar Abbas noted a newspaper report or article did not fall under the jurisdiction of the NCCIA.
“If someone had objections to the report, they could have issued a rebuttal or approached the court under relevant defamation laws,” he said. “In this context, the NCCIA should not have entertained the complaint at all.”
Abbas said the real purpose behind the action was to “pressure journalists and obstruct independent reporting.”
“Tactics like these are clearly aimed at curbing investigative journalism, so that government officials and institutions are not held accountable,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, clarified via social media the provincial administration was not the complainant in the case, distancing it from the notice.
Based in Pakistan’s volatile southwestern Balochistan province, Notezai covers security, political, and social issues.