Washington, May 4 . Restrictions on freedom of expression undermine Pakistan’s image and its ability to progress, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Addressing the press, on Tuesday, on World Press Freedom Day, Blinken said the US government was aware of the restrictions imposed on media outlets and civil society in Pakistan and highlighted this issue with his Pakistani counterpart. “A vibrant free press, an informed citizenry are key for any nation and its future, including Pakistan, and I think these practices that we see undermine freedom of expression,” Blinken said in response to a question asked by a Pakistani journalist over the South Asian country still being considered the most dangerous place for journalists. Last year, many Pakistani journalists were killed, kidnapped, and tortured for exposing crime and corruption and criticizing some of the government policies. “Has the State Department ever taken up this issue in bilateral talks with the Pakistani authorities?” the journalist asked. “The short answer is yes, we take this up in our engagements with Pakistani counterparts. Of course, this is also a feature of the annual Human Rights Reports that we put out, and, of course, we’re aware of significant restrictions on media outlets and civil society more broadly in Pakistan,” Blinken responded. “They (Restrictions) undermine peaceful assembly. They undermine Pakistan’s image as well as its ability to progress. So it is something that comes up both in our direct engagements and in the work that we’re doing every day.” US Secretary of State remarks on World Press Freedom Day came after a report released by a global media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, showed that Pakistan slid from 145th position last year to 157th this year on the World Press Freedom Index.
