Islamabad: Pakistan’s claims of press freedom face fresh scrutiny after Sikh journalist and television anchor Harmeet Singh alleged that his career was systematically targeted because he refused to compromise on independent and fearless journalism.

Harmeet Singh claims he was pushed off television screens and subsequently blocked from appearing on various channels as a political analyst. He has further alleged that police raided his small media office and seized computers, cameras, microphones and other equipment — actions he says followed his forthright coverage of political developments.

For a journalist from Pakistan’s minority Sikh community, reaching the mainstream media was itself a difficult journey, Harmeet said in a social media message. He recalled facing questions even from within his own community over why he continued in journalism instead of choosing another profession or business.

According to Harmeet, the pressure intensified after his coverage of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He claims that action against him began following his reporting in November 2024, with cases subsequently registered against him, including an FIR in Islamabad and an investigation in Peshawar. He said the matter remains before the court.

Harmeet has strongly rejected any suggestion that his journalism was anti-state or propaganda-driven. He maintains that his work centred on democracy, constitutional supremacy and the everyday problems of ordinary Pakistanis.

“Different views” allegedly became a liability

Harmeet says his perspective may have differed from that of powerful interests and that this difference itself may have become the reason he was targeted. He insists that he never worked against Pakistan and never participated in propaganda against his country.

The allegations have triggered concern among members of the Sikh community. Sikh intellectual Avtar Singh described the alleged raid on a Sikh journalist’s office and the reported action against him for independent journalism as deeply unfortunate.

Avtar Singh appealed to Sikhs across the world to condemn the alleged treatment of Harmeet Singh and stand in solidarity with Pakistan’s minority Sikh community.

He also called upon the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to take up the matter with the Government of India and seek its discussion with Pakistani authorities through diplomatic channels.

Avtar Singh further urged Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj to appeal to Sikhs worldwide to demonstrate solidarity with the Sikh community in Pakistan.

Harmeet Singh’s central contention remains stark: his journalism, he says, was never about attacking a country but about questioning authority, defending constitutional rights and highlighting citizens’ grievances. He alleges that in Pakistan, however, asking uncomfortable questions and refusing to toe the line has come at the price of his television career, professional freedom and livelihood.

The allegations, if established, would raise serious questions over the space available for independent journalism and minority voices in Pakistan.