Media Under the Shadow Of Death

Media Under the Shadow of Death is a compelling historical and analytical account of Pakistan’s long and difficult struggle for press freedom. Drawing on more than four decades of firsthand experience, eyewitness accounts, and extensive research, Mazhar Abbas traces the troubled history of journalism in Pakistan—from the legacy of colonial-era press laws to censorship and restrictions in the digital age.

The book examines how successive civilian and military governments have sought to control the media through legislation, censorship, intimidation, and institutional pressure. From Ayub Khan’s Press and Publication Ordinance (PPO) and General Zia-ul-Haq's lashings to Pervez Musharraf's "Emergency Plus" and contemporary cyber laws such as PECA, Abbas documents the continuing contest over freedom of expression and the control of public information.

At the centre of this history are the journalists and organisations that resisted these pressures. The book highlights the courageous role of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Karachi Press Club (KPC), both of which became important centres of resistance, solidarity, and free expression during some of the country’s darkest periods.

The book also pays tribute to journalists who lost their lives in the line of duty, including Daniel Pearl, Hayatullah Khan, Saleem Shahzad, Wali Khan Babar, Musa Khankhel, Jan Mohammad Mehr, Shan Dahar, and Arshad Sharif. Their deaths, and the impunity surrounding many attacks on journalists, reveal the profound human cost of reporting in an environment marked by violence and insecurity. Particular attention is given to journalism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and rural Sindh whose stories have often remained underreported.