Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) organized a media training workshop titled “Reporting Rights Violations and Faith-Based Persecution in Pakistan” on December 8, 2025, in Karachi. The workshop brought together journalists and social media content creators to enhance their understanding of the sensitivities involved in reporting faith-based persecution and human rights violations, with a particular emphasis on ethical language, rational analysis, and investigative journalism.
During the workshop, media experts and human rights practitioners emphasized that understanding social, religious, and cultural sensitivities is crucial for impactful reporting on faith-based issues. Speakers stressed that journalists should exercise caution in their choice of language and avoid asking “loaded” questions, instead adopting an investigative approach aimed at uncovering facts and presenting balanced narratives. They highlighted that adherence to a rational framework and factual accuracy strengthens journalistic credibility and public trust.
Imran Mukhtar highlighted that Pakistan’s constitutional and international frameworks guarantee freedom of expression, access to information, and religious liberty, but these rights are constrained by laws in the interest of public order, morality, security, and state integrity. He noted significant gaps between these guarantees and their practical implementation, particularly regarding fair trials, preventive detention, and protection of religious minorities. Emphasizing the impact of the digital era, he expressed concerns over the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), whose indefinite provisions on hate speech, offenses against dignity, and false information have been misused against journalists, fueling self-censorship and limiting civic debate. He stressed that while digital media has democratized information, it has also amplified misinformation and faith-based tensions. He concluded that journalists must adopt a constitutionally informed, rights-based, and ethically sensitive approach, ensuring responsible reporting that safeguards freedom of expression without exacerbating polarization or violating fundamental rights.
Senior journalist and columnist Wusat Ullah Khan emphasized that journalists must be particularly careful while reporting on issues involving religious and ethnic minorities. He noted that journalistic work should remain well grounded in reality while maintaining a rational analytical framework, adding that understanding the sensitivities of a given context is essential for responsible coverage of complex issues.
Blogger and columnist Farnood Alam, in his session titled “Debunking the Blasphemy Gang,” discussed how young people are often trapped through social media networks and subsequently become victims of the misuse of anti-blasphemy laws. He highlighted that the number of registered blasphemy cases over the past five years has increased manifold compared to earlier periods following the enforcement of strict anti-blasphemy legislation in the 1980s, underscoring the need for cautious and informed reporting on such sensitive matters.
In his concluding remarks, PIPS President Muhammad Amir Rana stressed that journalists must develop critical thinking skills to improve analysis and reporting on rights violations. He identified the acquisition and effective use of accurate data as a key element of impactful journalism and cautioned that personal biases whether religious, ethnic, or political should not be reflected in journalistic work. He reiterated that objectivity and professionalism are essential for responsible media coverage of sensitive human rights issues in Pakistan.