April 21, 2026
Staff Report
LAHORE
Pakistan’s tightening control over digital space, widening use of security laws against dissent, and intensifying pressure on political and civil society actors defined a year of shrinking civic freedoms, according to Amnesty International, which says authorities increasingly relied on cybercrime and anti-terror legislation to restrict expression and assembly.
In its annual report The State of the World’s Human Rights 2026, Amnesty notes changes to online speech laws in Pakistan significantly impacted freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, leading to the detention of journalists, activists and opposition members. It adds that authorities “continued to use detention as well as cybercrime and anti-terror laws to suppress freedom of expression,” alongside censorship of online content and internet shutdowns.
Digital space under tightening control
The report places particular emphasis on amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which introduced offences relating to “false and fake information” and expanded regulatory powers over online content. It notes that censorship was enforced through blocking of websites and social media channels, while the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) carried out arbitrary internet shutdowns, particularly in Balochistan. Pakistan also expanded web monitoring systems using foreign technology, the report says.
Laws used to target journalists, activists and opposition
The report references cases against human rights defenders including Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatta, stating that prosecutions over social media posts raised serious due process concerns.
Authorities also selectively withdrew state advertising from critical newspapers, adding financial pressure on independent media. Journalists, activists and opposition figures were frequently targeted under PECA and anti-terror laws, with multiple arrests and prosecutions over online expression.
Amnesty further highlights institutional changes, stating that the 27th Constitutional Amendment “significantly undermined the independence of the higher judiciary and provided broad immunity to the heads of the armed forces and the president,” raising concerns over constitutional balance and accountability.
Political repression and PTI crackdown
Political repression remained a key feature of the year. The report states that more than 100 PTI leaders and activists were convicted by anti-terrorism courts in cases linked to the May 9, 2023 protests. Those convicted included opposition leaders Omer Ayub and Shibli Faraz, MNA Zartaj Gul, and activist Khadija Shah.
PTI founder Imran Khan remained imprisoned, with Amnesty noting he was held on what it describes as “politically motivated charges,” and was kept in solitary confinement while being denied access to legal counsel and family.
Movement restrictions and political targeting
The report noted that restrictions on movement also increased, with Balochistan National Party president Sardar Akhtar Mengal barred from leaving the country after being placed on a watchlist, while journalists and activists faced travel bans in multiple cases.
Balochistan crackdown and enforced disappearances
In Balochistan, the report highlights a continuing pattern of protest restrictions and alleged excessive use of force. It notes that protests by Baloch activists were curtailed, and during a March 21 demonstration by the Baloch Yakjethi Committee demanding the release of forcibly disappeared individuals, “three protesters were killed through use of unlawful force by law enforcement.”
Prominent Baloch rights leader Dr Mahrang Baloch was among activists targeted during the year, as the report documents a broader crackdown on Baloch civil society, including detentions under public order and anti-terror laws.
Enforced disappearances remained a “significant concern,” with the government’s commission recording 125 new cases in the first half of the year, while civil society groups reported higher figures. Protests on disappearances were frequently met with force, further limiting space for peaceful assembly.
Afghan deportations under repatriation plan
The report also highlights Pakistan’s policy on Afghan refugees as a major concern. Under the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan, authorities deported large numbers of Afghan nationals after their registration documents expired.
Amnesty notes that the process involved people holding Proof of Registration or Afghan Citizen Cards and says returns were carried out “in breach of the principle of non-refoulement,” raising concerns over forced returns to potentially unsafe conditions. More than 999,000 Afghans returned during the year, including over 150,000 deported, with over 1.9 million sent back since 2023.
Economic pressure and rising inequality
While civil liberties contracted, the report also situates Pakistan within a broader context of economic and social strain. Despite a sharp decline in inflation, poverty remained widespread, with nearly 45 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, according to World Bank data cited in the report.
IMF-linked fiscal constraints led to reduced spending on health, education and social protection, even as defence allocations increased.
Marginalised groups bore a disproportionate burden. Sanitation workers—often from non-Muslim communities—faced systemic discrimination and lack of labour protections, while bonded labour persisted in parts of the informal economy.
Rising violence against gender and religious minorities
Gender-based violence also remained widespread, with a 25 per cent rise in reported cases. Amnesty cites continued incidents of honour based killings and violence against women active on social media.
Transgender individuals faced killings and sexual violence across multiple provinces, underscoring persistent vulnerability.
Religious minorities, particularly the Ahmadiyya community, remained under pressure, with reported attacks on places of worship, arrests under blasphemy laws, and targeted killings continuing during the year.
Amnesty International reports rising digital censorship, political repression, Balochistan crackdown, Afghan deportations and increased violence against minorities in Pakistan amid shrinking civic space, expanded security laws and worsening rights conditions.