Pakistan, May 2 -- In the lingering shadow of an unprecedented election year and amid heightened political polarization, Pakistan's media is battling for its survival. The Freedom Network's annual report, set to be released on World Press Freedom Day 2025, makes this abundantly clear: the country's press is not just under pressure-it is under siege.

According to the report, the past 12 months have seen a surge in legal intimidation, harassment, and physical violence against journalists. Five media workers lost their lives. Dozens were arrested, detained, or directly threatened. And hundreds more operated under a climate of constant fear. The tools of repression have evolved-from overt censorship to algorithmic silencing, from crude threa...