The law created special courts that must conclude trials within seven days under limited safeguards and must provide limited rights of appeal. Critics fear the law is encouraging police brutality. Authorities have arrested hundreds of people under the law but few have been charged or tried. The law also authorized the government to ban groups and associations. Freedom of expression is restricted by laws and constitutional provisions that cover broad subjects including the army and Islam.
Authorities occasionally detain, file false charges against, threaten, and assault journalists.
Police occasionally attack newspaper offices and interfere with newspaper distribution. Islamic fundamentalists also frequently target journalists. Nevertheless, Pakistan's press is among the most outspoken in South Asia. The government owns nearly all electronic media, and news coverage favors the ruling party. Freedom of assembly is generally respected, but police forcibly break up many demonstrations.