Pakistan has descended two places in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 3. The country now stands at 152 out of 180 nations, marking a decline from its position at 150 in the previous year’s index.

The RSF report highlights that the political indicator, one of the five metrics used to compile its rankings, saw the most significant decline, dropping by an average of 7.6 points globally during the review period. This decline reflects a troubling trend across numerous countries, where governments and political authorities are increasingly failing to uphold their roles as guarantors of a conducive environment for journalism. This had led to a “worrying decline” in support for media autonomy and an uptick in state or political pressures.

The situation for press freedom and media safety in Pakistan, as reflected in the Pakistan Press Foundation’s World Press Freedom Day report, was one of legal action, arrests, continued attacks, internet closures, and regulation that hindered the media’s ability to cover a year of key political developments.

In 2023, PPF documented at least: 46 instances of manhandling/injuries, five instances of raids, eight instances of damage to property or DSNG vans of media houses or attacks on the residence of journalists, four detentions, five instances of media professionals being abducted, kidnapped or going missing, 14 instances of harassment including stopping them from coverage or heckling them, 28 instances of online or in-person threats or harassment including death threats, 16 arrests, nine instances of case registration other than arrests, three instances of arrest warrants being issued, 12 instances of PEMRA prohibition orders, directives or instructions being issued, two instances of show-cause notices being issued, four instances of television broadcast being suspended, six instances of online or mobile connectivity censorship including restrictions in access to social media platforms and one instance where court barred coverage.

Between January and April 2024, PPF has so far documented at least: eight instances of manhandling/injuries, seven instances of online or in-person threats or harassment, including death threats, two instances of arrests, one instance of case registration other than arrests, two instances of notices issued including one of approximately 47 journalists being issued notices by the FIA Cybercrime Wing, two instances of PEMRA prohibition orders, directives or instructions being issued, one instance of show-cause notices being issued to four channels, nine instances of online or mobile connectivity censorship including restrictions in access to social media platforms, three instances where court or police barred coverage and one instance where two media professionals’ names were placed on the Exit Control List.