'Deceived & used': US reporter slams politicised Pakistan gathering that turns into govt-bashing event

An informal event, the National Press Club (NPC), organised by a group of Pakistani journalists for international reporters in Islamabad, stirred a row after they criticised the government and the Asim Munir-led military establishment. Some foreign journalists, close to Donald Trump, had also arrived in Pakistan to cover the anticipated US-Iran peace talks.

However, the event took a political turn, with US journalist Caitlin Doornbos, who attended, saying she felt "deceived" and "used". Alongside her, senior journalists from Al Jazeera, CNN and other publications were also invited.

During the gathering, two well-known anti-establishment Pakistani journalists, Matiullah Jan and Asad Ali Toor, spoke candidly about what they described as a disturbing state of press freedom in Pakistan, alleging harassment of journalists. They reportedly criticised the policies of the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and raised concerns over extra-judicial killings.

Group photo & controversy

Many foreign journalists were taken by surprise by this shift. The controversy deepened when a group photo of the attendees was used to issue a political statement containing multiple allegations against the government, giving the impression that the foreign journalists endorsed those views.

Doornbos, a New York Post reporter, perceived to be pro-Trump, was the first among them to distance himself from the event. In a post on X, Doornbos stated that she felt "deceived" because she participated in the event in a professional capacity and did not expect that her images would get associated with any political narrative. "Did anyone ask the foreign journalists whose photos are now associated with this how they felt about it?" Doornbos tweeted.

"I feel deceived and used. I would have enjoyed learning more about the media landscape privately, but our images were blasted out in association with a political statement implying our solidarity in criticising a foreign government in which we are guests," she further said.

Soon after these remarks, her post on X immediately gained traction online. In response, a Pakistani journalist, Maryam Nawaz Khan, clarified that there was a small discussion on the "real face" of "independent journalism" in Pakistan during the event.

"A lot of fuss on international journalists event in the National Press Club is going on... If this would have been hosted by any of the system's self-claimed spokesperson, the case would have been different," Maryam tweeted.

She also underscored the issue, highlighting how dozens of Pakistani journalists have been forcibly "picked up" by state agencies for reportedly spreading "anti-Pakistan" narratives. "Dissent has been criminalised, be it journalists, academics, activists, or lawyers," Maryam further said.