According to the Freedom House report released on Wednesday, Pakistan’s score dropped to 35 out of 100, downgrading it to a ‘partly free’ country in terms of political rights and civil liberties. This is a two-point decline from last year’s score of 37, as highlighted in the Freedom in the World 2024 report. The country secured 14 out of 40 points for political rights and 21 out of 60 for civil liberties, reflecting the growing challenges faced by the nation.
While Pakistan holds regular elections under a multiparty system, the military continues to exert significant influence over government formation and policy-making, with media often facing intimidation. The report also highlighted the contentious relationship between military and civilian leaders, which culminated in the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022 and the criminal charges that followed.
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Freedom House pointed out that selective restrictions on civil liberties remain common in Pakistan, further limiting the country’s overall freedom. Despite the decline in freedom globally last year, South Asia showed some positive developments, with several countries making gains in the index, even if they did not change categories.
Countries like Senegal and Bhutan were elevated to the status of “free” due to significant political progress, while Bangladesh and Sri Lanka made strides in their civil liberties and governance, driven by anti-corruption movements and political transitions. In contrast, India continued its downward trend, reflecting concerns over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s influence over judicial appointments, leading to its downgrade to “partly free” in 2021.
Freedom House co-author Yana Gorokhovskaia noted that 2024 was particularly dynamic due to a high number of elections worldwide, though global freedom continued its 19th consecutive year of decline. She stressed that political rights depend heavily on institutions, which are often difficult to build back up once undermined.
Globally, countries like Jordan showed improvement, while others, including Kuwait, Niger, and Thailand, were downgraded to “not free.” Tunisia, El Salvador, and Haiti also experienced steep declines. Finland, however, remained the only country with a perfect score of 100 in freedom.
