ISLAMABAD – A sharp government rebuke as international news outlet Al Jazeera’s website became inaccessible to users across Pakistan. The timing ignited fresh questions after Al Jazeera’s controversial coverage of the Kashmir elections drew accusations of “yellow journalism” from Islamabad.
Access to Al Jazeera English’s website appears to have been disrupted across Pakistan shortly after country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting publicly condemned the Qatari broadcaster’s reporting on elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, raising fresh questions about press freedom and online access.
Pakistanis users were unable to reach Al Jazeera English portal, with browser messages stating that the site could not be accessed.
The apparent disruption followed a strongly worded statement by Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting criticizing Al Jazeera’s coverage of the Kashmir elections.
Al Jazeera reported Kashmiris boycotted polling amid strike, and that several people had been killed in Rawalakot, and featured interviews with individuals who said they had refused to vote. Responding to the report, the ministry accused the broadcaster of biased reporting and labeled its coverage “yellow journalism.”
Ministry said it had taken notice of what it described as “one-sided reporting from selected polling stations in Muzaffarabad.” It further alleged that Al Jazeera relied on “pre-planned statements by selected individuals” to present a misleading picture of the electoral process in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The ministry also claimed that such reporting “reinforces the agenda of external elements with vested interests” seeking to damage the credibility of the election.
So far, Al Jazeera has not issued a public response to the ministry’s allegations, nor has there been any official confirmation from Pakistani authorities explaining the reported inaccessibility of the broadcaster’s English-language website.
The timing of the apparent access disruption, coming soon after the government’s public criticism of the network, fueled speculation online, although no official announcement regarding any restriction or blocking has been made.
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