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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan marked World Press Freedom Day on Sunday with renewed official commitments to safeguarding journalists and strengthening responsible journalism, as the latest global press freedom rankings showed the country moving ahead of India in the annual index released by Reporters Without Borders. In its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, RSF ranked Pakistan at 153rd out of 180 countries, placing it four spots ahead of neighboring&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-drops-to-157th-as-press-freedom-crisis-deepens" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">India</a>, which slipped to 157th, down six places from last year. The annual index evaluates media freedom across political, legal, economic, socio-cultural and safety indicators. The latest ranking comes as Pakistan observes World Press Freedom Day under the global theme, &ldquo;Shaping a Future at Peace,&rdquo; with the country&rsquo;s top leadership reaffirming constitutional protections for free expression and pledging stronger safeguards for media professionals. President Asif Ali Zardari said press freedom remains central to democratic governance and national stability, stressing that peace and truth are deeply interconnected. &ldquo;Peace cannot be built without truth and in the modern world, truth depends on those who have the courage and integrity to seek it, verify it and bring it to light,&rdquo; the president said in his message issued on World Press Freedom Day.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2050651425542393981&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=691474fcacc5c602fd0b2390492c809d966e8b5c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 825px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2050651425542393981"></iframe></div></div>He acknowledged the growing pressures facing journalists globally, including misinformation, disinformation, economic coercion and physical threats, while warning that digital platforms and artificial intelligence have intensified challenges to factual reporting. &#39;Firmly committed&#39; The president said Pakistan remained &ldquo;firmly committed&rdquo; to press freedom as both a constitutional guarantee and democratic necessity, citing Article 19 and Article 19-A of the Constitution as legal foundations protecting freedom of expression and the public&rsquo;s right to information. &ldquo;A free, independent and diverse media is not a threat to a confident nation, rather a proof of one,&rdquo; he said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his separate message, described journalists as &ldquo;custodians of professional standards&rdquo; and called for stronger resistance against propaganda and fake news in an increasingly fast-moving digital environment. &ldquo;Timely dissemination of accurate, impartial, and unbiased information remains the cornerstone of credible journalism,&rdquo; the prime minister said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2050787838963089845&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=691474fcacc5c602fd0b2390492c809d966e8b5c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 945px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2050787838963089845"></iframe></div></div>He said responsible journalism remains essential for peacebuilding, informed public discourse and democratic accountability, adding that media professionals must be allowed to work in a secure and dignified environment. Both the president and prime minister also linked responsible journalism to Pakistan&rsquo;s national resilience, particularly during periods of conflict and disinformation campaigns. Countering misinformation Referring to the 2025 Pakistan-India military confrontation and &ldquo;Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,&rdquo; President Zardari said Pakistan&rsquo;s media had played a critical role in countering misinformation and preserving national cohesion. &ldquo;It responded not with force, but with facts. Not with noise, but with clarity,&rdquo; he said. PM Sharif similarly praised the national media&rsquo;s role during critical moments, including &ldquo;Marka-e-Haq&rdquo; and &ldquo;Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,&rdquo; saying journalists helped maintain public awareness and national unity. The RSF report noted that India&rsquo;s decline was linked to the &ldquo;increasing use of national security laws&rdquo; and growing legal pressure on journalists, creating a more difficult environment for media workers. While Pakistan&rsquo;s position remains in the lower tier of the global rankings, officials said the comparative improvement reflects continued progress in strengthening media freedoms while maintaining professional standards. Tribute to journalists&nbsp; Both leaders paid tribute to journalists who lost their lives in pursuit of truth, particularly in conflict zones, and called for stronger protections and ethical standards across the profession. &ldquo;Public trust, the most valuable asset of free press, must be earned, protected and never taken for granted,&rdquo; President Zardari said. PM Sharif reaffirmed that the government would continue to support media freedom and institutional reforms aimed at ensuring a safe, responsible and independent press. &ldquo;The government will continue to play its role in this regard, enabling the media to fulfil its responsibilities with truth and integrity,&rdquo; he said.

Culture

 In its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, RSF ranks Pakistan 153rd out of 180 countries, four places ahead of India at 157th, as Pakistan’s leadership reaffirms commitment to press freedom and journalist protection.

Pakistan reaffirms press freedom commitment as global rankings improve

ISLAMABAD: India ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released on April 30 by Reporters Without Borders, marking a drop of six places from its 151st position in 2025.&nbsp;The watchdog, also known as RSF, observed that the global average score has never been so low in 25 years, with more than half of all countries now classified under &ldquo;difficult&rdquo; or &ldquo;very serious&rdquo; conditions for press freedom.&nbsp; Norway, the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, and Sweden occupy the top positions, while nearly all of India&rsquo;s neighbors rank higher than India, said an Indian media report based on RSF&rsquo;s findings.&nbsp;The report attributes the crisis in India&rsquo;s press freedom to rising violence against journalists, concentrated media ownership, and increasing political alignment of news outlets.&nbsp; It highlights the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party, stating that since 2014, the media environment has deteriorated significantly.&nbsp; Despite a vast and diverse media landscape, RSF describes it as being in an &ldquo;unofficial state of emergency,&rdquo; shaped by close ties between political power and dominant media families. The report points to the influence of major business figures, noting that Mukesh Ambani&rsquo;s Reliance group owns more than 70 media outlets, while Gautam Adani&rsquo;s acquisition of NDTV in 2022 marked a turning point in reducing mainstream media pluralism.&nbsp;&nbsp;&lsquo;Godi media&rsquo;It also describes the rise of &ldquo;godi media,&rdquo; suggesting that pressure and influence are undermining independent journalism. According to RSF, the prime minister rarely holds press conferences and selectively engages with favorable media figures, while journalists critical of the government face harassment, including coordinated online attacks.&nbsp; Laws related to sedition, defamation, and anti-terrorism are frequently used to suppress reporting, while government control over advertising revenue further pressures media organizations. The report also highlights a lack of diversity in newsrooms, with leadership largely dominated by upper-caste Hindu men, affecting representation and coverage.&nbsp; It notes that India remains one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with two to three killed annually and many facing threats, arrests, and violence, particularly those reporting on sensitive issues or regions such as Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

India

Norway, the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, and Sweden occupy the top positions, while nearly all of India’s neighbors rank higher than India, said an Indian media report based on RSF’s findings.

Articles tagged with "Reporters Without Borders"

Pakistan reaffirms press freedom commitment as global rankings improve

India drops to 157th as press freedom crisis deepens