No government in South Asia wants to recognise criticism as a legitimate right of the media, veteran Pakistani journalist and Dawn Editor Zaffar Abbas has said.
Abbas made the remarks while speaking at a discussion titled “Speaking Truth to Power: A Story of Independence and Resilience” at the Bangladesh Journalism Conference 2026.
“No government in South Asia thinks that criticising is the right of the media,” Abbas told the audience.
“Our job is to highlight the failures and wrong policies of the government, not just sing their praises,” he said.
He was responding to a question from Consulting Editor of The Daily Star Kamal Ahmed who asked why Pakistan’s press freedom ranking remains consistently poor on global indices.
Abbas attributed the low ranking to anti-media laws and regulatory restrictions introduced by various governments over the years.
In the age of television and the internet, people now rely on social media for breaking news, Abbas observed.
For newspapers to survive, he said, they must emphasise context, analysis and investigative reporting.
“If newspapers only chase breaking news, they will lose their relevance,” he warned.
Sharing his experiences from Pakistan, Abbas said he never forces local correspondents to collect news from risky areas, especially those related to militancy.
“I do not have the capacity to ensure their safety. That is why, many times, experienced journalists are sent from Karachi to collect information, so that local colleagues do not face danger,” he explained.
He added that if there is a risk to life in any area, instructions are given not to cover that news, and the concerned journalists are told to safely withdraw.
“The lives of journalists are more important than the news,” Abbas said.
Abbas recalled that once upon a time in Pakistan, due to the dominance of state radio and television, people relied on international broadcasters like the BBC to verify the authenticity of news.
However, with the expansion of private television and social media, that influence has now diminished significantly, he noted.
At present, Abbas said, governments are more focused on controlling local television channels and newspapers than international media, and in many cases they have been able to do so.
“But due to the spread of social media, it is not possible to completely suppress dissent,” he added.
