Pakistan media guide

Pakistan is one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists. Intelligence agents and members of banned militant organisations are behind "serious threats" to reporters, says Reporters Without Borders.

The government uses legal and constitutional powers to curb press freedom and the law on blasphemy has been used against journalists. The broadcasting regulator can halt the carriage of foreign TV channels via cable, particularly Indian or Afghan ones.

Television is the dominant medium, and there are dozens of private channels. Most viewers watch them via cable; there are no private, terrestrially-broadcast stations. State-run Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is the sole national terrestrial broadcaster.

More than 100 private FM radio stations are licensed. They are not allowed to broadcast their own news.

Scores of unlicensed FM stations are said to operate in the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Usually operated by clerics, some of the outlets are accused of fanning sectarian tension.

There were 116 million internet users by July 2022, 50.9% of the population (Worldinternetstats.com). The rapid growth in mobile phone use is boosting the delivery of online content.

Filtering targets content deemed blasphemous, secessionist, anti-state, or anti-military, OpenNet Initiative reports. The regulator has imposed temporary blocks on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other sites over material it says is "sacrilegious".

Pakistani users active on Twitter include senior politicians and sports and entertainment stars.

• Media guides by BBC Monitoring

Press

• Daily Jang - Karachi-based, Urdu-language; largest-circulation daily

• Dawn - Karachi-based, largest-circulation English-language daily

• The News - English-language daily, published by Jang group

• The Nation - Lahore-based, English-language daily

• The Frontier Post - Peshawar-based, English-language

• Daily Ausaf - Islamabad-based, Urdu-language

• Daily Times - English-language, publishes in Lahore and Karachi

• Pakistan Observer - Islamabad-based daily

• Business Recorder - financial daily

• The Friday Times - Lahore-based weekly, English-language

• The Express Tribune - daily

Television

• Pakistan Television Corporation Ltd - state TV, operates PTV Home, regional network PTV National, Baluchi-language PTV Bolan, PTV News

• Geo TV - leading private satellite broadcaster, owned by Jang publishing group; based in Dubai; services include Urdu-language Geo News

• ARY Digital - private, via satellite; services include ARY News and entertainment channels

• Dunya News TV - private, via satellite; Lahore-based

• Dawn News - private satellite broadcaster, owned by Herald group; first English-language news channel

• Aaj TV - private satellite broadcaster, owned by Business Recorder group

• Samaa TV - private news station, via satellite

Radio

• Radio Pakistan - state-run, operates 25 stations nationwide, an external service and the entertainment-based FM 101 network, aimed at younger listeners

• Azad Kashmir Radio - state-run, for Pakistani-administered Kashmir

• FM 100 - private, music-based

News agency

• Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) - state-funded