Pakistan slides to 158th in World Press Freedom Index

KARACHI: Pakistan has plunged to 158th spot in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a drop of 16 places since 2019.

RSF ranked Pakistan in the “very serious situation” category, alongside India, Afghanistan, and Iran. The report cited increasing censorship, political pressure, and growing violence against journalists as key reasons.

The RSF blames increasing censorship, shrinking space for dissent, and frequent threats to journalists as key factors behind Pakistan’s decline in World Press Freedom Index.

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Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with several reporters killed every year, often in connection to corruption or illegal activities, and most of these cases remain unsolved, the report stated.

The RSF’s index came just days after Pakistan’s Freedom Network published its own damning report titled “Free speech and public interest journalism under siege.” It pointed to a deepening crisis in Pakistani journalism — with increased attacks, shrinking safety nets for journalists, and the chilling impact of cybercrime laws like the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

Media experts in Pakistan have repeatedly raised concerns about how these laws are being used to silence dissenting voices and undermine independent journalism.

As the world marks World Press Freedom Day, the RSF’s warning is a stark reminder of the mounting challenges facing the media in Pakistan — and around the globe.

The RSF said 2025 marks a global low for media freedom, with over 60 per cent of countries in decline — but conditions in Pakistan are particularly alarming.