KARACHI: Pakistan’s media community on Wednesday condemned a notice issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to a local journalist, Muhammad Akbar Notezai, calling it a direct assault on press freedom.
According to reports, the notice stemmed from an investigative report Notezai published in Dawn newspaper more than a year earlier, probing allegations of administrative mismanagement, misuse of authority, and corruption in Balochistan.
Established last year in May, to replace the cyber‑crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the NCCIA has drawn criticism for its expanding scope and its involvement in cases traditionally outside its mandate.
“Investigative journalism in Pakistan has witnessed a steady decline over the years, largely due to increasing censorship,” Fazil Jamili, President of Karachi Press Club, told Arab News. “In this environment, the work of journalists like Akbar Notakzai becomes all the more vital.”
Jamili said Notezai’s reporting consistently reflected rigorous research, professional integrity and the highest journalistic standards.
