Pakistani journalist Asad Ali Toor was stopped from boarding his flight to Washington, US, late on Friday, 8th August (local time) at Islamabad International Airport. He was on his way to attend a 12-day International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) arranged by the US State Department, an established exchange program that brings together professionals from across the globe for discussion and learning.
According to Toor, immigration officers informed him that his name was on Pakistan’s Exit Control List (ECL), which is also referred to as the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL). It meant he would be unable to fly. He repeatedly inquired why his name appeared on the list, but nobody gave him any answer.
Journalist @AsadAToor was off loaded from a US bounded flight at New Islamabad International Airport.
Asad Ali Toor is know as blistering commentator against policies of government and establishment. pic.twitter.com/rEDPAWTQno
— Israr Ahmed Rajpoot (@ia_rajpoot) August 9, 2025
For him, it was not just about being prevented from travelling; it was another means of silencing him and stopping him from voicing his opinions. “In Pakistan, journalism and speaking truth to power have been turned into crimes,” journalist Toor said in a statement after the incident. “Yes, I committed this crime and I will keep committing it”, he said.
Asad Ali Toor also referred to Pakistan’s fall in the World Press Freedom Index, where the country fell from rank 152 to rank 158 this year. He attributed this to what he refers to as a “hybrid regime” for making it more difficult for journalists.
This is not the first time Toor has been in trouble due to his profession. His life has been one of threats, harassment, and even violence. One of the most dangerous incidents involved him being attacked at his apartment in Islamabad in May 2021.
Journalist Asad Ali Toor said in a statement to police that at about 11 p.m., the doorbell rang. Upon opening the door, a man trained a pistol on him and instructed him to step aside. When he attempted to flee, the man threatened him with a gun. Two other men entered almost immediately. They pushed him into his bedroom, bound him, gagged him, and beat him.
“They threw me to the ground and instructed me to remain silent or else they would shoot me,” Toor explained to police later. One of the attackers repeatedly hit him on the elbows with the butt of the pistol, he said, so he was in severe pain.
Toor said that the men identified themselves as members of Pakistan‘s influential military intelligence agency, the ISI. The ISI has previously been accused by rights groups of being involved in kidnappings, torture, and even murders of reporters.
The assailants asked Toor how he supported himself and was funding himself, and compelled him to recite slogans in honour of the army and the ISI, and against India, Afghanistan, and Israel.
#AsadToor says one of the assailants identified himself as an ISI official, as they entered his home. They made him chant “Pakistan Zindabad” & “Israel, Afghanistan murdabad” slogans while badly beating him up. Asad Toor is a Pakistani Journalist. He was tortured by ISI goons. pic.twitter.com/JybAo2KrHM
— Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) (@majorgauravarya) May 28, 2021
The army’s press centre did not issue a reaction to the accusations then. The assault outraged media practitioners and human rights activists, who viewed it as an extension of a consistent campaign to silence the media.
Almost four years on, Toor says there is little difference. Pakistani journalists continue to receive threats, get arrested, and get barred from travelling. Being prevented from travelling abroad to attend an international programme, he feels, is no arbitrary act; it’s a message.
That message is straightforward: you may voice your opinions, but only within the boundaries established by the powers that be. Cross them, and you will be reminded precisely who owns the gate.
