Claim: Pakistan has suspended or banned Al Jazeera broadcast.
Fact: We did not find any evidence to support the claim. Al Jazeera’s broadcast operations continue in the country.
On 23 February 2026, Facebook user ‘Baseer Ahmed Awan’ posted (archive) a visual with the text, “Pakistan suspends Al Jazeera broadcasts over regulatory concerns.”
The post is accompanied by the following caption:
“اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکستان نے Al Jazeera کی نشریات کو پاکستان میں بند کردیا اور الجزیرہ کے پاکستان میں کوریج آپریشنز کو بھی روک دیا ہے الجزیرہ پر اسـرائیل میں بھی پابندی ہے پاکستانی قوم اب ٹی وی پر صرف مریم منیر کی اشتہاروں والی ترقی دیکھے، آئی ایس پی آر کے نغمے سنے اور اگر زیادہ بوریت ہورہی ہو تو رمضان ٹرانسمیشن دیکھیں جہاں ڈاکٹر نبیحہ کے گھر کے مسائل حل کئے جارہے ہیں
[The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has shut down Al Jazeera’s broadcasts in Pakistan and has also stopped Al Jazeera’s coverage operations in Pakistan. Al Jazeera is also banned in Israel. The Pakistani nation should now only watch the development through Maryam’s and Munir’s advertisements on TV, listen to ISPR songs, and, if they are getting too bored, watch the Ramzan transmission where the problems of Dr Nabiha’s house are being solved.]”
“Maryam” and “Munir” here refer to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan’s Defence Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The reference to “Dr Nabiha” is about a controversy around the personal life of Dr Nabiha Ali Khan — who describes herself as a “journalist, influencer, and clinical psychologist” — during an appearance on a talk show.
The claim surfaced following an X (formerly Twitter) post by Al Jazeera, wherein it reported on a February 2026 suicide attack on a security forces’ convoy that left two army personnel dead.
However, many people called out the publication for the caption it wrote (archive) on X, terming the suicide bomber as a “fighter”. Its accompanying report also refers to the attacker the same way.
Other social media posts claimed that Pakistan “suspended” Al Jazeera “for reporting which doesn’t suit the agenda of the current regime” or “banned” reportedly “for spreading propaganda in support of terrorist groups like BLA, TTP, and others”.
“BLA” refers to the proscribed separatist militant group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and “TTP” to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban and commonly referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij by the government.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check did not find any credible reports by reputable news outlets about Al Jazeera being banned by or its broadcast operations being suspended in Pakistan.
We did not find any such order or press release on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) website and social media pages either.
Moreover, multiple cable television providers, such as StormFiber and Nayatel, are showing Al Jazeera broadcasts.
Interestingly, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, also recently gave an interview to Al Jazeera “about the ongoing Operation Ghazb lil Haq to eliminate the terrorist enclave hosted by the Afghan Taliban regime”.
“Operation Ghazb lil Haq,” or “Wrath for the Truth,” is the Pakistani military’s response to the Afghan Taliban’s cross-border aggression.
Zaidi did criticise Al Jazeera’s journalism, saying, “I had a chance to sit through your reporting and I found, uh, quite a lot of empathy and sympathy for the terrorist-enabling Afghan Taliban regime in your reporting. I’m happy to answer any questions you have, but I don’t know where to begin, given the quality of reporting that I just heard.”
However, he did not mention anything about a ban or suspension of the outlet’s services in Pakistan.
Was pleased to speak to @AJEnglish about the ongoing Operation Ghazb lil Haq to eliminate the terrorist enclave hosted by the Afghan Taliban regime pic.twitter.com/G3FIxFfYrh
— Mosharraf Zaidi 🇵🇰 (@mosharrafzaidi) February 27, 2026
Additionally, Pakistani journalist and anchorperson Hamid Mir also referenced an Al Jazeera article in his show on 26 February 2026. Had there been a ban or suspension, he would not have been able to do so.
Al Jazeera’s digital operations — such as its website and social media accounts — are also available to view in Pakistan.
Soch Fact Check also reached out to Al Jazeera International Press Office for a comment but did not hear back as of publishing time. This article will be updated if and when we receive a response.
It cannot be independently verified if the Pakistani government is considering banning or suspending Al Jazeera but the channel’s broadcast continues as of publishing time. As such, we rate the claim as false.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the claim circulating here, here, here, here, here, and here on Facebook, here, here, and here on Instagram, and here on X.
It was also shared on X by conservative Pakistani columnist Orya Maqbool Jan and Shama Junejo, a writer and communication consultant. Both have previously peddled false claims that have been debunked by Soch Fact Check.
The claim was also shared as video reports on the verified YouTube channel Pakilinks News where it gained over 11,000 views.
Conclusion: We did not find any evidence to support the claim. Al Jazeera’s broadcast operations continue in the country.
Background image in cover photo: aljazeera
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