LAHORE: (Sunday, October 11, 2026): The School of Communication Studies at the University of the Punjab, in collaboration with the Association of Photojournalists of Lahore (APL), organised a research focus group at the Department of Communication Studies to examine the roles of photo and video journalists during political protests, their framing practices, and the factors and pressures influencing their on-duty decisions. The session was attended by the School’s Director, Professor Dr Abida Ashraf; Associate Professor Dr Shabbir Sarwar; research scholar Javeria Shafiq; and journalists Mohsin Naseem and Ahsan Kamray. The focus group panel included the following senior photo and video journalists Parvez Altaf, Senior Photojournalist, Daily Musawat and Chairman, APL, Waseem Niaz, Senior Photojournalist Express News, Documentary Photography Consultant, UNICEF Pakistan; and President, APL, Sadaqat Mughal, Senior Photojournalist, Daily Jang and Vice President, APL, Imran Sheikh, Senior Photojournalist, Nawa-i-Waqt; General Secretary, APL; and Joint Secretary, Lahore Press Club, Umar Farooq, Senior Photojournalist, Daily News and Information Secretary, APL, Shehbaz Malik, Senior Photojournalist, Daily Express and Finance Secretary, APL, Sohail Abbas, Senior Video Journalist, AFP, Zeeshan Yousaf, Senior Video Journalist, Samaa TV, Khurram Fayyaz, Senior Video Journalist, Samaa TV, Sohail Niaz, Senior Photojournalist, 92 News and member of the APL Executive Council while five other photojournalists also participated in the focus group, bringing the total number of participants to 15. The focus group was organised to investigate the professional challenges faced by journalists covering political protests in Pakistan. Participants discussed how journalists select moments, frame images and document events while balancing professional objectivity, personal perspectives, editorial policies, organisational demands and pressure from interest groups. They highlighted the influence of camera angles, lens selection, captions, newsroom priorities and commercial interests on the visual representation of protests.

The discussion also examined the challenges of maintaining impartiality in politically sensitive environments, including concerns about personal safety, pressure from protesters and authorities, and the ethical responsibilities of visual journalists. Participants further reflected on whether the presence of cameras influences protesters’ behaviour and how editorial decisions shape the representation of truth in coverage of political demonstrations. APL President Waseem Niaz thanked Dr Shabbir Sarwar and Dr Abida Ashraf for involving journalists in doctoral-level research.
Data for the study will be collected from across Pakistan.