On October 10, 2025, the fate of Falak Javed, a well-known Pakistani social media activist associated with the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), took a dramatic turn when a local court in Lahore ordered her into a 14-day judicial remand. The decision, reported by PakTribune, comes amid an intensifying crackdown on digital dissent and a broader climate of political suppression in Pakistan—one that, according to multiple human rights organizations and international reports, now reaches far beyond the country’s borders.
Falak Javed’s case is emblematic of the current struggle between Pakistan’s emboldened security apparatus and those daring to challenge it, whether online or in the streets. Presented before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo after the completion of her physical remand, Falak was transferred to jail custody for two weeks following the submission of investigation details by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Authorities allege that she was involved in running "anti-state" campaigns and sharing defamatory content targeting state institutions and a provincial minister. The charges, vague as they may sound to some, have become increasingly common in Pakistan’s evolving digital landscape.
But the legal woes for Falak Javed do not stop there. An anti-terrorism court has also permitted police to continue questioning her in jail in a separate case concerning riots and property damage near Zaman Park, incidents tied to the May 9, 2025, protests. The protests themselves were a flashpoint, drawing thousands of PTI supporters onto the streets and resulting in widespread arrests and allegations of excessive force. The government’s response, critics say, has only deepened concerns about the limits of digital expression and the fairness of due process in the country.
Falak’s family has not been spared from the state’s tightening grip. Her sister, Sanam Javed—another prominent PTI figure—was recently arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and transferred to Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. According to PakTribune, rights groups have described these detentions as part of a widening net of political suppression, carried out under the pretext of law enforcement but with a clear message: dissent, whether on the streets or online, will not be tolerated.
While the crackdown on activists like Falak and Sanam Javed is alarming in its own right, a new report covered by the European Times and distributed by IANS suggests that Pakistan’s campaign against dissent has become even more far-reaching under Army Chief Asim Munir. The report asserts that, since Munir assumed his position in 2022, the Pakistani military has institutionalized a policy of "exporting fear"—a strategy that involves not only silencing journalists and party workers within the country but also harassing, threatening, and even punishing critics abroad.
"What started as censorship of domestic journalists has evolved into a system of transnational repression targeting entire political movements," the report states. It points to a chilling pattern: journalists killed or silenced, party workers harassed overseas, families punished at home, and generals issuing threats abroad with impunity. The message, as described by the European Times, is unambiguous: "Criticism of the army, whether from Karachi or New York, will not be tolerated, and retribution can follow anywhere."
The report highlights several high-profile cases that underscore the scope of this repression. In October 2022, senior television anchor Arshad Sharif, who had fled Pakistan to escape sedition charges and military threats, was gunned down in Kenya. While Kenyan courts later ruled his killing unlawful, suspicions over the Pakistani military’s involvement persist. In March 2025, investigative reporter Ahmad Noorani published a report exposing Munir’s growing influence; within days, his brothers in Islamabad were abducted, a colleague in Balochistan disappeared, and Noorani’s YouTube channel was blocked in Pakistan as part of a cybercrime investigation. These incidents, condemned internationally, are seen as clear examples of extraterritorial repression—where even those who have left Pakistan are not beyond the reach of its security apparatus.
But the net has widened beyond just journalists. The report notes that in 2025, PTI demonstrations outside Pakistani embassies in cities like London, Toronto, and Washington faced not only local police pressure but also surveillance by embassy staff and private actors linked to Pakistani intelligence. Protesters reported receiving threatening phone calls, and their families back in Pakistan were questioned by security agencies. This transnational intimidation, according to rights advocates, is designed to instill fear and discourage criticism, no matter where it is voiced.
Human rights organizations have not been silent. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists described the 2025 cases against exiled reporters as "a severe escalation in Pakistan’s crackdown." The organization and others have sounded the alarm about the apparent impossibility of dissent, both inside and outside Pakistan’s borders. "Pakistan has slid into a state where dissent is impossible both inside and outside its borders. The future for Pakistan is in shambles, where the military’s shadow follows citizens everywhere and the right to speak is extinguished at home and abroad alike," the report concluded.
For many observers, the crackdown on Falak Javed and her sister is just the latest in a series of moves that reflect this broader trend. The use of cybercrime laws to prosecute political activists has raised serious questions about due process and the boundaries of legitimate law enforcement. Critics argue that the government is using these laws as a tool to stifle opposition, particularly among PTI supporters, and to send a warning to others who might consider speaking out.
Yet, the government maintains that its actions are necessary to maintain order and protect state institutions from destabilizing influences. Officials have pointed to the violence and property damage associated with the May 9 protests as justification for their tough stance. They argue that accountability must extend to those who incite unrest online, not just those who take to the streets.
This debate—between security and freedom, between the need for order and the right to dissent—has become central to Pakistan’s current political moment. And as cases like Falak Javed’s play out in the courts and on the world stage, the country’s future direction hangs in the balance.
As Pakistan’s judiciary, security agencies, and political opposition continue their uneasy dance, one thing is clear: the boundaries of dissent are being redrawn, and the consequences for crossing them have never been more severe. Whether this approach will bring stability or further unrest remains to be seen, but for activists like Falak and Sanam Javed, the risks are all too real—and the world is watching.