Pakistan Now Classified as Authoritarian State in Democracy Index: Hamid Mir

ISLAMABAD: Senior journalist and anchorperson Hamid Mir has said that Pakistan has set a new record for restrictions on the media, while the weakening of parliament and non-implementation of judicial decisions have contributed to the country’s classification as an authoritarian state in global democracy rankings.

Speaking in his vlog, Hamid Mir said Pakistan’s credibility at the international level was being damaged. He said that Pakistan was previously classified as having a hybrid political system in the Global Democracy Index, but had now been included among countries with authoritarian systems of government.

He further claimed that Pakistan had fallen to 130th place among 143 countries in the global rule of law rankings, while the country had reached the top of the Global Terrorism Index.

Criticising the policies of the ruling elite and powerful circles, Hamid Mir said it appeared that their primary objective was to control the media and suppress independent voices.

پاکستانی میڈیا پر پابندیوں کا نیا ریکارڈ قائم ہو چکا ہے پاکستانی عدلیہ کے فیصلوں پر عمل درآمد نہیں ہوتا پارلیمنٹ بے اختیار ہے ڈیموکریسی انڈیکس میں پاکستان کا شمار آمرانہ ریاستوں میں ہونے لگا ہے لیکن پاکستان کو ان پالیسیوں سے کیا ملا؟ گلوبل ٹیررازم انڈیکس میں پاکستان ٹاپ پر کیوں… pic.twitter.com/Hg9bCleERq

— Hamid Mir حامد میر (@HamidMirPAK) September 29, 2026

He questioned what Pakistan had gained from the extensive use of power against the media and judiciary despite being a nuclear-armed country.

Recalling a historic statement attributed to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Hamid Mir said Jinnah had once told the media that even if he made a mistake or began moving in the wrong direction, journalists could openly criticise him as a true friend.

Hamid Mir said censorship of the free press and restrictions on the judiciary had brought Pakistan little more than embarrassment on the international stage. He warned that such policies posed serious risks to the country’s democratic and economic future.