Travel bans, red lists: Pakistan’s latest weapons against its journalists

Pakistan’s attempts to control the press have taken a new turn: blocking journalists from travelling abroad.

Over the past few months, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has allegedly offloaded passengers from international flights. 

While the FIA maintains that no one with genuine documents has been removed, reports across social media tell a different story, of last-minute profiling, passengers being pulled off planes, and confusion at airports.

Journalists are among those caught in this widening net. Sohrab Barkat, who works for the news portal Siasat.pk, was on his way to Brazil to cover a UN climate summit. He was not just offloaded, but reportedly later arrested in Islamabad. 

Interestingly, Barkat had a court order in which FIA had confirmed that there are no cases pending against him and that he could leave the country. This order was issued on November 24. Siasat.pk was banned in Pakistan last year. 

“Sohrab Barkat is a seasoned journalist, and his arrest reflects growing suppression of dissenting voices,” said Salman Durrani, a senior journalist based in Islamabad. “This sends a message across the media landscape and deepens the fear among journalists in Pakistan. It’s another blow to already-shrinking press freedom. I know Sohrab personally. He is courageous, responsible, and highly professional in his work.” 

Barkat was supposed to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest, but he wasn’t. He was later produced before a judicial magistrate in Lahore despite being arrested from Islamabad. The court noted that an FIR had been registered against him on August 5 for interviewing PTI worker Sanam Javed. Javed was arrested and jailed for a long time because of her support for former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Barkat’s counsel argued that these comments were not made by the host but by a guest on the YouTube show. However, the court handed his judicial remand to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for four days. 

“The FIA and NCCIA have increasingly been used as a tool to intimidate journalists, especially those critical of the government,” said Durrani.  “This pressure has created an atmosphere of fear and forced many journalists into self-censorship. Siasat.pk’s ban is part of the broader crackdown on dissent. The platform’s critical stance made it a target, and its blocking further shows how restricted digital expression has become in Pakistan.” 

Those entering Pak also under fire

The crackdown isn’t limited to journalists leaving Pakistan.  

Farrukh Shahbaz Warraich, president of the Punjab Union of Journalists, returned to Pakistan from Canada on November 19. When he submitted his passport to the immigration officers on reaching Pakistan, he saw a red-light flash on their computer screen. According to him, the immigration officials told him his name was on the red list and asked how he had managed to leave Pakistan in the first place. 

In Canada, Warraich had met Dr Tahirul Qadri, a religious leader and political activist who told him that democracy was receding the world over. This clip was picked up by some social media accounts and  Warraich suspected that it might have been seen as criticism of the Pakistani regime.

Ultimately, Warraich said that he was let go with the advice that he needs to get his name off the list or he won’t be able to leave Pakistan again. “The information minister called me…and he assured me that my name was removed from this list,” said Warraich. “I am overwhelmed by the support from the fraternity. Some senior journalists have spoken up for me.  But I wonder what happens to the ordinary people who end up on this list. Who can they go to for help?” 

FIA has now reportedly clarified that these additional powers are to protect Pakistanis from human smuggling and illegal migration. 

Authorities argue that young Pakistanis travelling on visit visas to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, or Azerbaijan often disappear en route to third countries – part of the risky dunki migration routes to Europe. First-time travellers and residents of districts where dunki routes are common are being screened more aggressively. The FIA says these actions intensified after the Greek boat tragedy, in which nearly 600 migrants – many of them Pakistanis – drowned. 

FIA has also claimed that no one with complete documents was removed from a flight and anyone spreading any misinformation will also face legal consequences. 

“Pakistan does face a serious challenge with human trafficking networks and individuals traveling on fake visas, forged passports, and dubious ‘agent-arranged’ routes to the Gulf, Europe, and Southeast Asia,” said senior Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi. “The state is under international pressure to curb these practices, especially after repeated tragedies involving migrant workers, boat accidents, and trafficking rings. But the real problem is when this legitimate mandate is misused, and anti-trafficking measures are weaponised to block journalists, activists, or political critics with valid documents and no legal cases. The FIA’s offloading of journalists is not an isolated act. It fits a clear pattern of using administrative muscle to silence uncomfortable voices and control the narrative by coercion rather than by contesting facts.” 

Meanwhile, journalist Sohrab Barkat, who has been charged with cyber terrorism, appeared in court. He is currently in judicial remand, and the court will hear his bail plea on Thursday. In a clip showing him walking to the court before the hearing, he said the FIA had asked him why he did that interview. “Please give me a job in the FIA if you don’t want me to conduct interviews,” he joked. 

In times of misinformation, you need news you can trust. We’ve got you covered. Subscribe to Newslaundry and power our work.