LAHORE: National security is being increasingly used to curb free speech in most of South Asia and this trend has increased in recent years with social media shaping narratives and silencing dissent.

This was said during the second day of the 6th Asma Jahangir Conference in a discussion titled Erosion of Free Speech on the Pretext of National Security here on Sunday. The session was moderated by Anchorperson Hamid Mir with panelist including Himal Southasian Founder Kanak Mani Dixit from Nepal, Photojournalist & Drik Picture Library Founder Shahidul Alam from Bangladesh and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights South Asia Team Lead Christine Chung.

During the discussion, Mr Mir pointed out the decline of South Asian countries in the Press Freedom Index and said that Pakistan dropped six points in the index, from the 152th place to the 158th, while Nepal fell from 74 to 90, showing a massive decline. Whereas, he said, Bangladesh jumped to the 149th place in 2025, after being on the 165th position a year ago in 2024.

On the topic, Mr Dixit said that the index was “behind the times” and things were different in Nepal. He said that what happens in India and Pakistan, affected the whole region, including countries like Nepal and Bangladesh. He also pointed out the impact of social media and said that backlash on social media was silencing many voices, showing how social media shaped public perception and opinion.

Ms Cheung said the state was also the primary duty-bearer for human rights and the government had to protect individuals. She said that without the freedom of expression, people were unable to access other human rights and it was essential for a free and democratic society.

Mr Alam said that governments use various tactics and use different terms for it but they only do it for self-preservation and citizens too should work towards self-preservation. He recalled when he was picked-up and said that he only said and wrote what was happening in the country. He said that government was able to do that because of the silence of too many good people. “I think we need to remind ourselves that we are culpable the minute we stay silent. We have contributed to that process, and we ourselves need to implicate ourselves,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2026