Journal of Historical Studies Vol. IX. No. I (Jan-Jun 2023) PP 391-434 391 State of Press Freedom in Pakistan c.1947-59: A Historical Survey Irfan Waheed Usmani Assistant Professor, Institute of History, Government College University, New Campus at Kala Shah Kaku, Lahore Abstract The article examines the Government—Press relations between 1947 and 1959 by looking into the deployment of the regulatory regime of the Press Laws while exploring the theme it digs deep into why the governments in Pakistan right from independence remained so fearful of the presence of free and independent. To find an answer to the question it offers glimpses into the agenda- setting of the publications of the PPL to provide a “flavour” of the defiant Role of Press. The article seeks to carry out a historical survey of the state of Press Freedom in Pakistan by looking into the deployment of the Regulatory Regime of Press Laws in Pakistan. Going beyond this rather narrow confines it foregrounds the debate in a much larger context to show why the ruling elite of Pakistan by and large remained intolerant towards the Press and vividly depicts how the expression of the independent and assertive role of the press made the bureaucratic elites and their cohorts dominating the system so much fearful that they took upon themselves the task of taming press to specific limits. Organizational Plan I have divided the narrative into four parts. The first part sets the context, the second section provides vivid examples of the agenda-setting of the publication of the chain of Left-wing newspapers founded by Iftikhar-ud-Din to show the defiant role it played. Section three the core portion of the article shows how the Establishment began to target the pro-Muslim League press, the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) Press, the No-CPP Left- wing Press and the Progressive Papers Limited (PPL)