Islamabad: Pakistan has slipped to the 158th position in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, indicating a sharp decline in free speech, amid concerns over increasing authoritarian tendencies, according to observers.
The index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), warned that Pakistan is becoming more oppressive as global press freedom reaches its lowest level in history. This ranking places Pakistan just one step above the lowest tier in RSF’s system. Media reports in Pakistan attribute this decline to rising political interference, economic difficulties faced by media outlets, and a surge in violence against journalists.
Particularly criticized are recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), seen by many as measures designed to clamp down on dissent and limit independent journalism. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned these changes, calling them “black laws” aimed at controlling the press. According to Geo News, these legislative shifts have sparked strong backlash from journalist organizations and civil society groups, who see them as threats to fundamental rights.
The downgrade coincides with a concerning report by the Freedom Network titled Free Speech and Public Interest Journalism Under Siege, which described Pakistan’s media environment as facing an “existential threat.” Additionally, media outlets report that the revised PECA law grants a new regulatory authority broad powers to remove content considered contrary to what the government describes as the “ideology of Pakistan,” a move heavily criticized for its vague and political nature.
Last year, RSF had already urged Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to urgently reverse the worsening trend in press freedom, warning of the serious implications for journalist independence and democratic accountability, as reported by Dawn.