Pakistan has been added to the Civicus Monitor’s 2025 human rights watchlist due to increasing restrictions on civic freedoms, suppression of dissent, and legal actions against activists and journalists, according to a statement by the watchdog.
Civicus placed Pakistan alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Serbia, Italy, and the United States in its latest watchlist, which highlights countries experiencing significant declines in civil liberties. The organization classified Pakistan as “repressed” on its official website.
“Pakistan’s recent criminalization of activists, suppression of opposition and minority protests, and digital space restrictions have led to its inclusion in the Civicus Monitor watchlist,” the statement noted.
Crackdown on Activists and Protests
The watchdog highlighted legal actions taken against human rights defenders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir.
Mahrang Baloch faces multiple criminal charges, including accusations under the Anti-Terrorism Act, for organizing sit-ins and participating in public gatherings. Meanwhile, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir was charged with terrorism-related offenses for advocating legal support for victims of violence and defending the rights of persecuted ethnic and religious communities.
Civicus also noted that Pakistan banned the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) in 2024 using anti-terror laws.
“The charges against Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir are politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent,” said Rajavelu Karunanithi, Civicus’ Advocacy and Campaign Officer for Asia.
The statement urged the Pakistani government to drop these “fabricated charges” and lift the ban on PTM.
Crackdown on Protests and Digital Restrictions
The Civicus report detailed a crackdown on political protests between October and November 2024, during which hundreds of demonstrators were arrested under vague legal provisions. Authorities also blocked major roads to restrict movement.
Protests led by ethnic Sindhi and Baloch groups faced harsh suppression, violating Pakistan’s commitments to protecting civic freedoms, the monitor noted.
Journalists were also targeted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), with many accused of spreading “false narratives against state institutions.” The watchdog observed that PECA was amended in January 2025 to impose further restrictions on free speech.
Additionally, Civicus criticized Pakistan’s prolonged shutdown of social media platform X (formerly Twitter) since February 2024 and the government’s suspension of mobile and internet services during protests.
“The crackdown on political opposition, suppression of ethnic minority groups, and targeting of journalists contradict Pakistan’s international human rights commitments,” the statement read, citing recommendations from the UN Human Rights Committee in October 2024.
“The authorities must take steps to reverse course, protect the right to peaceful assembly and free expression, and hold perpetrators accountable,” Karunanithi added.
