Silenced since March, VOA still not sharing US perspectives in Pakistan

Pakistan occupies a strategically important position in South Asia — a region where the United States, Russia, China and Iran compete directly for influence. Pakistani media regularly carries Chinese, Russian and Iranian state propaganda while political and religious elements routinely fan anti-American sentiment to gain sympathy. Pakistan also contends with religious extremism and terrorist groups such as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, Baloch separatists, and Islamic State-Khorasan among others. In this environment, Voice of America reached millions of people with credible news and accurate information.

For more than seven decades, VOA’s Urdu Service broadcast uninterrupted to Pakistan in the country’s main language through cycles of democracy and military rule, conflicts with neighboring India, the war in neighboring Afghanistan, the development of nuclear weapons and challenges with terrorism and political instability.

Pakistan is strategically important to the United States for the role it plays in regional stability, counterterrorism efforts and global security. VOA has served U.S. interests there by countering disinformation, promoting transparency, and providing Pakistani audiences with accurate coverage of international affairs, American views and U.S. government policies.

Before President Donald Trump issued his March 14, 2025, executive order that effectively began dismantling VOA, the Urdu Service reached 5.2% of Pakistan’s adult population each week, or 7.7 million people. At the start of 2025, it was broadcasting 28.8 hours of audio and video reports each week. Now, it has stopped all broadcasts and is producing no content on digital media. Up until that point, VOA’s Urdu Service was one of the few news outlets in the country that directly challenged conspiracy theories targeting the United States.

When Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan accused the U.S. of conspiring in his ouster from office in 2022, claiming a diplomatic cable was proof, the issue gripped national attention for months. In-depth reporting by the Urdu service reached wide audiences and provided U.S. government perspectives on the matter. The service sought out comment from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan, which denied that the cable laid out a U.S. plan to oust Khan from office.

Tweets from VOA’s Urdu Service were some of the most-viewed in Pakistan at the time of the controversy and a video explainer that contextualized the issue amassed over 1.1 million views and 114,000 interactions on Facebook alone. The service also conducted an in-depth interview with one of the journalists who published details of the alleged cable, offering audiences a deeper insight into the nuances of the controversy.

VOA Urdu also provided robust news coverage across the Muslim world, including conflicts in the Middle East which heavily shape sentiment towards the U.S. in Pakistan. It delivered extensive reporting on the Israel-Hamas war, including on the American perspective, with its first week of coverage garnering 56 million views.

Zubair Dar reports for VOA’s Urdu Service from Indian-controlled Kashmir.

For its Urdu-speaking audience, VOA was a reliable window into Washington. During the run-up to the 2024 U.S. election, reporters with the Urdu Service made nearly 150 appearances across more than 24 Pakistani news channels, relaying news of the campaign and explaining the U.S. democratic system. Election-related social media posts tallied more than 1.5 million views across platforms and generated more than 235,000 engagements.

On election night, the service livestreamed Trump’s victory speech on Facebook and YouTube, and on Inauguration Day live-streamed Trump’s oath-taking ceremony. VOA’s live coverage showcased the country’s democratic traditions and also communicated a range of American domestic and foreign policy views.

In the absence of VOA’s independent reporting, audiences in Pakistan are left to rely primarily on government-run outlets and private media channels, which must navigate a series of red lines on what can be covered without punishment. These platforms are often heavily influenced by Pakistan’s security establishment as well as by China, Russia and Iran, resulting in coverage that reflects their priorities rather than balanced, fact-based journalism. At a time when U.S. adversaries are working hard to shape the narrative in ways that undermine stability, America cannot afford to lose its voice in Pakistan.