Pakistani authorities have repeatedly raided the home of digital journalist Usman Khan, forcing him into hiding to avoid detention for his coverage of protests over alleged human rights abuses in Balochistan.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned these actions, stating that Pakistani police must immediately cease their attempts to detain Khan and allow the media to report on current affairs without fear of intimidation or arrest.

Khan has reported that uniformed and plainclothes police officers raided his home on three separate occasions in late July and early August, but he was able to escape.

He believed that the authorities plan to arrest him over his coverage, as military officials have questioned protesters about him and contacted his father to summon him back to the Balochistan capital of Quetta.

CPJ has expressed alarm over the increase in attacks on the press in Pakistan, with seven journalist deaths so far in 2024, and has called on Pakistani authorities to do more to protect independent voices across the country.

Khan works for Zaiwa News channel on YouTube and Facebook, which covers current affairs in the volatile Balochistan region where insurgents have long demanded independence from the central government.

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