Joint statement by media professionals and concerned citizens in Southasia and the diaspora
We, the undersigned individuals and organisations, express deep concern over the continued blocking of Indian news websites in Pakistan and Pakistani news websites in India. These reciprocal bans prevent people on both sides of the border from accessing news, perspectives, and information from their neighbours, further shrinking an already constrained public sphere.
We recognise and acknowledge that sections of the media on both sides have, at times, played a damaging role by spreading misinformation, sensationalism, war hysteria, and panic. Such practices undermine public trust, endanger lives, and weaken democratic institutions. However, banning entire news platforms and blocking access to information is not a solution. Accountability, ethical journalism, transparent regulation, and independent oversight are.
We believe that engaging with each other’s media, even when uncomfortable or critical, is essential for informed citizenship, accountability, and peacebuilding. Banning news platforms does not erase realities on the ground; it merely blinds people to them.
We call on the governments of India and Pakistan to immediately lift these bans on news websites and restore access to cross-border journalism. We urge both states to uphold the principles of freedom of expression, press freedom, and the public’s right to information, as guaranteed under international human rights frameworks.
We also call on media organisations, journalist unions, civil society groups, academic institutions, and peace networks across Southasia and beyond to endorse this statement and join us in collectively urging the governments of India and Pakistan to reverse the restrictions.
Opening windows to information is not a threat. It is a step toward understanding, accountability, and a more peaceful Southasia.
Endorsing organisations
- Southasia Peace Action Network (Sapan)
- Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD)
- South Asians for Human Rights, Sri Lanka
- The Network of Women in Media, India
- Sapan News, syndicated features service
- Rural Media Network Pakistan, civil society organisation
- Aaghaz-e-Dosti, India-Pakistan
- Digital Daily Nawa-I -Ahmedpur Sharqia, Pakistan
- Association of War-Affected Women, Sri Lanka
- The Friday Times, Pakistan
- Naya Daur Media, Pakistan
- Gallerie Publishers, India
- Karachi Press Club, Pakistan
- Jeevanshala Trust, India
- Centre for Investigative Journalism, Nepal
- Nariswor, Nepal
- Society for Youth, USA
- Vibes of India, India
Individuals
- Beena Sarwar, journalist, journalism teacher, Founder Editor Sapan News, Cambridge, MA / Karachi
- Rajedeep Sardesai, senior journalist and author, India
- Kanak Mani Dixit, Founder Editor, Himal Southasian, Kathmandu
- Lalita Ramdas, human rights activist, founding member, Sapan, India
- Salima Hashmi, artist, Lahore, Pakistan
- A. S. Panneerselvan, Director General, Chennai Institute of Journalism, India
- Khushi Kabir, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Siddhartha Vardarajan, senior journalist and editor, India
- Aditi Phadnis Mehta, Consulting Editor, India
- Kunda Dixit, publisher, Nepali Times, Kathmandu, India
- Pragyan Srivastava, Associate Editor, Sapan News, India
- Sumedha Chaudhury, Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Amity University Jharkhand, Ranchi, India
- Maya Sharma, independent journalist, Bengaluru, India
- Aisha Gazdar, filmmaker, Karachi/ Pakistan
- Seema Sirohi, Journalist/columnist, USA
- Rita Manchanda, Pak-India Forum for Peace and Democracy, Delhi, India
- Raza Rumi, Distinguished Lecturer, City University of New York
- Prateebha Tuladhar, freelance journalist, Nepal
- Tahira Abdullah, human rights defender, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Ammu Joseph, independent journalist and author, Bangalore/ India
- Rukhsana Rashid, development consultant, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Kavita Srivastava, Civil society organisation / NGO, Jaipur/ India
- Anuradha Bhasin, journalist, India
- Vinod Mubayi, Co-editor Insaf Bulletin, New York/USA, Montreal/Canada
- Ahmad Rafay Alam, Bureau Member, South Asians for Human Rights, Pakistan
- Swarna Rajagopalan, peace activist, India
- Sujata Madhok, journalist, India
- Khawar Mumtaz, peacemonger, Pakistan
- Rukhshanda Naz, peace and women Activist, Pakistan
- Alina Mirza, public health specialist, United Kingdom
- Bilal Farooqi, journalist, Karachi/Pakistan
- G. Ramamohan Rao, Ex. General Manager, BHEL, Hyderabad, India
- Nandini Sundar, Professor, India
- Maheen Pracha, Human rights practitioner, Pakistan
- Harris Khalique, Poet and Secretary-General HRCP, Lahore/Pakistan
- Rajashri Dasgupta, Journalist, Kolkata, India
- Tanveer Ahmed, Founder & Independent action-oriented public policy researcher, Kotli – Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK)
- Sara Arshad, Educator, Lahore/Pakistan
- Abdullah Zahid, Freelance journalist, Sapan News, Pakistan
- Pragati Jadhav Patil, Assistant Editor, Tarun Bharat, India
- Ravi Nitesh, Social Activist, India
- Fazil Jamili, President, Karachi Press Club, Pakistan
- Bina Sarkar Ellias Poet, Editor-Designer-Publisher, Gallerie Publishers India
- Rafiq Kathwari, Recipient of the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award, USA
- Kausar, Pakistan
- Raza Rumi Editor, The Friday Times, Naya Daur Media USA
- Zohra Yusuf Council Member, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan
- Sonali Sathaye Educator, Consultant, St John’s India
- Mustafa Nazir Ahmad, Freelance journalist and editor, Pakistan
- Tarun Upadhyay, Senior Journalist, India
- Azra Syed, PhD, Researcher- Journalist, United Kingdom
- Shabnam Rashid SAPPK Pakistan
- Visaka Dharmadasa Chair of AWAW Sri Lanka
- Sameera Khan, Independent Journalist, Writer & Researcher, India
- Samata Biswas, South Asia Network for Communication Displacement and Migration, India
- Mukta Lall, Retired, India
- Syeda Masood, assistant professor, Hamline University, USA
- Mahnaz Rahman HRCP Pakistan
- Ranjini Rao, consultant, Delhi
- Col NN Bhatia (Retd), Senior citizen, India
- Farhatullah Babar, Ex Senator, Pakistan
- Ijaz Ahmed Khan, Editor Digital Daily Nawa-i-AhmedPurSharqia, Pakistan
- Kavita N Ramdas, KNR Sisters, USA
- Ammad Ali, Historian, Pakistan
- Aun Dohadwala, finance professional, Boston
- Vinish Gupta, Founder Trustee, Jeevanshala Trust, India
- Fukunaga Masaaki, university faculty member, Japan
- Aasha Mehreen Amin, Joint Editor, The Daily Star, Bangladesh
- Col Pavan Nair, Veteran, India
- Devika Mittal Convener, Aaghaz-e-Dosti India
- Shantanu Chatterjee, Program Editor, Al Jazeera English Qatar
- Namrata Sharma, Editor, Nariswor, Nepal
- M Ilyas Khan, journalist, Pakistan
- Radhika Ramaseshan, Independent journalist and columnist, India
- John Dayal, writer, India
- Zakia Sarwar, English teacher, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ingrid Srinath, academic, India
- Swati Sharan, activist, US
- Yasmeen Kazi, retired professor, Pakistan
- Saeed Yaqoob, Zonal Manager, Friends Traders Pakistan
- Siraj Khan, Board Chair, Society for Youth USA
- Laxmi Murthy, journalist, India
- Rupa Mehta, independent media professional, India
- Nasreen Rehman, historian, The planet
- Madhu Trehan, journalist, India
- Radhika Ramaseshan, Independent journalist and columnist, India
- Revathi Siva Kumar, journalist, Freelancing India
- Nilova Roy Chaudhury, consulting editor, India News Stream, India
- Deepal Trivedi, Co Founder, Vibesofindia.com, India
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