The annual report released by the Freedom Network highlighting the erosion of free speech has brought to light the decline in me­dia freedom in Pakistan. The report, covering the period from May 2023 to April 2024, reveals that over 200 journalists and bloggers were targeted via at least 70 legal notices. It is clear that journalists are no lon­ger safe in Pakistan and the foundation of a true democracy, where people have the right to freedom of speech, is slowly dwindling away.

The reduced tolerance for online dissent that led to the attacks and ha­rassment of journalists and bloggers throughout 2023 highlights how the three governments that came into power within the span of a year did little to revert this. Instead, it was observed that all three ruling dis­pensations seemed to lower their threshold of tolerance to freedom of expression, especially online dissent. Many journalists were given legal notices, while some were arrested, and others were attacked.

In the pursuit of uncovering the truth, journalists often put their own lives at risk. Their safety is overlooked, and they are almost never given the recognition that they deserve for highlighting the issues plaguing so­cieties. This trend is not unique to Pakistan. We observe a similar trend in conflict zones like Gaza where journalists face indiscriminate violence and suffer from the dangers of targeted attacks.

Similarly, the case of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, repre­sents the challenges that journalists face in their attempts to unveil gov­ernment misconduct. His arrest is an example of how journalists are si­lenced by powerful figures who would go to all extremes to suppress dissent and control the narrative. Press freedom is a right that is denied to most journalists, and it seems very unlikely that these individuals will be able to hold governments accountable for their actions at this rate.

In Pakistan, bills such as the ‘E-Safety Bill and Personal Data Protection Bill’, which aim to penalize content posters on social media serve to institution­alise forced censorship and the government’s attempt to legislate this bill re­flects how regressive Pakistan is when it comes to upholding press freedom.

Promoting a culture that values and safeguards the crucial role that journalists play in providing the public with unbiased information is im­portant. It is the very foundation of a democratic society without which there will be no state accountability and Pakistan must uphold press free­dom if it genuinely wants the world to see it as a democratic nation.