As per a recent study, the COVID-19 outbreak accelerated illiberal trends in many Indo-Pacific countries. The pandemic ushered in restrictions on freedom of speech and movement, and the situation also warranted greater policing roles by the government/authorities. Nicole Curato has coined the term “securitisation of social issues” to describe this trend. This chapter will attempt to examine if South Asia has adapted those trends to limit space for democracy or if the trend has been reversed. The past year has seen several elections in South Asia, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. While free and fair elections are one of the pillars of democracy, this has become a subject of controversy within the region. Whereas in the past South Asia has witnessed various forms of democratic governance, the pandemic saw a backsliding of democratic norms, although some states experienced that trend even earlier. South Asia has witnessed an erosion of liberties. This chapter focuses on Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are examined through the lens of electoral democracy, Pakistan through institutional overreach, and the level of freedom enjoyed by the Indian media has been discussed, too. The pandemic did not initiate these trends but exacerbated pre-existing issues. Governments struggled to address crises, but some governments used the opportunity to tighten controls and suppress civic engagement during precarious times.