ISLAMABAD — November 15, 2025
Pakistan’s internet freedom has marked one of the steepest declines globally over the past 15 years, landing the country a score of 27 out of 100, placing it firmly in the “Not Free” category, according to the latest Freedom on the Net 2025 report by US-based watchdog Freedom House.
The assessment, covering the period June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025, cites growing state control over the digital sphere, new censorship tools, threats to block VPNs and regulatory changes that rights groups warn could be misused to restrict online expression.
Comparisons in South Asia
While Pakistan’s score continues to deteriorate, neighboring countries performed significantly better.
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Sri Lanka scored 53
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India scored 51
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Bangladesh scored 45
All three are labelled “Partly Free”. Afghanistan’s score could not be tracked due to limited data.
At the bottom of the index are:
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China (9)
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Myanmar (9)
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Iran (13)
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Russia (17)
Sharp 15-Year Decline
Freedom House notes that Pakistan is among five countries — alongside Egypt, Russia, Turkiye and Venezuela — that witnessed the most dramatic long-term deterioration in internet freedom.
Between 2011 and 2015, Pakistan’s score plunged from 55 to 69, shifting it definitively from “Partly Free” to “Not Free”. The trend continues as government oversight deepens.
On the other hand, countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are markedly more open, classified as ‘Partly Free’, with much higher freedom scores of 51, 53, and 45, respectively. The watchdog was unable to track Afghanistan’s score.https://t.co/BduWnlqFdx
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 15, 2025
Key Findings for Pakistan
The report documents multiple incidents of digital disruption and censorship:
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Widespread slowdowns and intermittent restrictions on platforms such as WhatsApp, X (Twitter), Signal and YouTube.
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Connectivity issues linked to the deployment of new web-monitoring and blocking systems.
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Internet shutdowns — including in Islamabad during protests in support of former prime minister Imran Khan in November 2024.
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Delays in unblocking X, which remained restricted for nearly a year until May 2025.
The report also highlights political pressure:
“The military establishment sought to curtail the influence of the PTI founder and his party,” it noted.
VPN Threats and Cybercrime Law
Freedom House flagged repeated threats by authorities to block unregistered VPNs. In November 2024, the government introduced registration requirements demanding disclosure of user identities, though officials later acknowledged they lacked legal grounds to impose a full ban.
Amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), passed in January 2025, contained “ambiguous language” that could be used to silence dissent, according to rights groups.
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The report also notes that at least five individuals received death sentences in blasphemy-related online cases during the review period.
Broader Global Picture
Of the 72 countries assessed, internet freedom declined in 28, while 17 recorded improvements. Global internet freedom, however, fell for the 15th consecutive year.
Kenya saw the most drastic decline after nationwide protests in 2024 led to a seven-hour internet blackout and mass arrests.
The report concludes that while Pakistan holds regular elections, the civil and digital space remains heavily influenced by security institutions, with recurring restrictions on media, speech and political mobilisation.
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