Due to shrinking civic space, Pakistan has been named to the Civicus Monitor’s 2025 human rights watchlist.
The global monitor cites arbitrary targeting of activists, suppression of journalists under strict laws, and a “repressed” civic status. Alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Serbia, Italy, and the U.S., Pakistan faces scrutiny for rapid declines in freedoms.
Civicus points to fabricated charges against activists like Dr. Mahrang Baloch of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir. Mahrang faces Anti-Terrorism Act charges for organizing protests, while Mazari-Hazir is accused of terrorism for defending persecuted groups. The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement was also banned under the same law in 2024. “This is a political witch-hunt to silence dissent,” said Civicus’ Rajavelu Karunanithi.
New #civicspace watchlist looks at the deterioration of rights in:
🇵🇰Criminalisation of HRDs/journalists
🇷🇸Protesters, CSOs under attack
🇨🇩Journalists, HRDs targeted, censorship
🇮🇹Restrictive draft security law
🇺🇸Gross abuses of executive power
➡️ https://t.co/V5XmOHLzcH pic.twitter.com/WbZs7FpXdy
— CIVICUS Monitor (@CIVICUSMonitor) March 10, 2025Crackdowns on Protests and Media Intensify
Last year, authorities crushed opposition protests, arresting hundreds under vague laws and blocking highways. Ethnic Sindh and Baloch demonstrations faced similar suppression, violating Pakistan’s civic freedom commitments.
Journalists, meanwhile, are targeted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), accused of spreading “false narratives.” Peca’s January amendments tightened free speech controls, and platform X has been offline since February 2024. Internet shutdowns during protests further fuel concerns.
Read: Richard Grenell Calls Out US Delay in Addressing Pakistan Human Rights
Civicus labels these actions inconsistent with Pakistan’s UN human rights obligations. In October 2024, the UN Human Rights Committee urged reforms after reviewing Pakistan’s record. “The government must drop these charges, lift the Pashtun ban, and protect assembly and expression rights,” Karunanithi urged. As pressure mounts, Pakistan’s path forward remains critical.
