After a series of direct, physical attacks; harassment and threats; and firings, it has become increasingly difficult to report openly and critically on the Pakistani security state.

This panel brings together leading Pakistani journalists and human rights activists, many of whom are barred from speaking on local media channels, to reflect and discuss state repression in Pakistan today–and what it might mean to stand in solidarity with their battle for a free press.

The hashtag for this event is #LSEPakistan

Meet our speakers and chair

Asad Ali Toor is an Islamabad-based journalist who has spent 15 years working in the media industry. He is currently with Aaj TV as a Senior Producer. He also reports for Naya Daur, a digital platform, and vlogs at his YouTube channel, Asad Toor “Uncensored”, to fight censorship in Pakistan. In September 2020, authorities charged Toor with sedition for comments made on social media "maligning state institutions." The charges were dismissed by a court. On May 25th, 2021, he was attacked by three civilian-clothes men who identified themselves as members of Pakistan's security services.

Sanna Ejaz is a journalist and human rights activist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan's northernmost province. Ejaz worked as a TV anchor at Pakistan Television for two and a half years, after being removed for her support and activism of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), one of Pakistan's largest anti-violence movements in the country, coverage of which is regularly censored on local media channels. She is one of the most important, female leaders in the PTM; a chairportson of the WAAK movement, and a believer of non-violent political action.

Matiullah Jan is an Islamabad-based journalist, social media and communication trainer, and a media law expert. In 2020, he was abducted and tortured in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. In 2018, Jan's TV show was shut down and he was removed from the channel he was associated with. He is also facing contempt of court charges for criticising senior judges for their decision against a fellow Supreme Court judge. Jan is currently running a personal YouTube news channel, MJtv.

Rabia Mehmoodis an independent journalist and researcher based in Lahore, Pakistan. She is currently a regular contributor to the online, digital media platform, Naya Daur. She researches human rights, including censorship and digital rights, in a Pakistani context. She was earlier with Amnesty International South Asia and the Jinnah Institute.

Mahvish Ahmadis an Assistant Professor in Human Rights and Politics at the Department of Sociology, LSE. She studies state violence, especially in Pakistan, and anti-militarist communities and movements.

Organised in collaboration with a network of UK-based, Pakistani academics and activists, including Dr Zoha Waseem, Dr Muhammad Salman Khan, and Ayesha Ijaz Khan.