Press Freedom Alert – Freedom Network

ISLAMABAD, 10 April 2025: Dawn Media Group, one of the country’s oldest and most respected groups, is facing ban from the federal and Punjab governments’ advertisement since October last year to “punish” it for an independent editorial policy and “not toeing the official lines.”

All successive governments have used the release of advertisements as “leverage” against critical media groups trying to follow an independent editorial policy and this policy remains in force even today.

“From October (2024) the ban is imposed on Dawn (media) group,” a spokesman for the group told Freedom Network by phone from Karachi, Sindh province, where the group is headquartered.

The group is facing ads ban from Punjab and federal governments while Sindh government resumed issuance of its ads for the group as it had also “imposed similar ban for unknown reasons,” the spokesman said.

“The ban is unannounced,” he said. “Obviously, it is because of the group’s independent editorial policy.,” the spokesman gave the possible reason for the ban.

Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan governments, however, are releasing their advertisements to the group, the spokesman said.

Freedom Network monitoring confirms the advertisements the three provinces released for the group.

Media industry is heavily dependent on governments’ advertisements for long time. Any media group deviating from the government-dictated policy receives such ban as “mark of punishment.”

“We demand from both federal and Punjab governments to immediately and unconditionally lift this unjustified ban on advertisements for Dawn group,” Freedom Network said Thursday in its Press Freedom Alert.

It said: “This ban marks an unannounced policy to censor media groups which want to pursue an independent editorial policy,” the Press Freedom Alert read. “The federal and provincial governments need to devise a transparent policy to ensure every deserving media group is provided its share from the annual quota of advertisements.

“An independent Steering Committee may be formed to take charge of government advertisements. The Committee members shall reflect cross-section of the society. A policy which encourages independent and professional journalism shall be brought forward.”

Dawn group’s editorials and Op-Ed pieces are highly critical of the government’s internal and external policies. The group had also suffered during Imran Khan’s rule for pursuing similar independent editorial policy under Zaffar Abbas editorship.

Dawn newspaper was founded by Father of the Nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah and it is widely respected for following high standards of journalistic ethics and it is the only newspaper which appointed an external ombudsman to address its readers complaints against the organization’s editorial policy.

In recent months, Dawn group was not issued major federal and Punjab governments’ campaigns worth millions of rupees.

The 05 February edition of Dawn newspaper did not carry a special ad marking “Kashmir Day.” This ad was issued to most newspapers, excluding Dawn newspaper, however. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz celebrated the first year in Chief Minister’s House with 60-page supplement issued to many newspapers, excluding Dawn newspaper.

Dawn newspaper was not issued 23 March front-page ads to commemorate the adoption of the Lahore Resolution in 1940 which called for the creation of an independent sovereign state for Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, and the establishment of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Both federal and Punjab information ministers declined to comment on the issue when both were approached digitally.