In January, Pakistan’s parliament enacted amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), criminalizing the spread of “fake or false information” with penalties of fines or up to three years in prison. The amendments create four new government-controlled bodies to regulate online content. Rights experts and media advocates have widely condemned the bill for undermining what little is left of digital expression in the country and for containing vague and overbroad language. The previous PECA was known for targeting journalists critical of the government and the new amendments are seen as further stifling press freedom. Prohibited content includes publications opposing “the ideology of Pakistan”, disrupting civic life through public intimidation, or criticizing individuals, including the judiciary, armed forces, parliament, or provincial assembly members. The bill faced backlash for lacking adequate civil society consultation. The development follows parliament’s passage of the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025, aimed at establishing citizens’ digital identities and centralizing economic, social and governance data. Rights experts have raised concerns over privacy rights and the country’s shift toward a surveillance state.

Sources: Dawn,  Deutsch Welle, International Federation of Journalists, Human Rights Watch, IFEX

In 2024, Pakistan saw a 66 per cent increase in deaths from terrorism and counter-terrorism from 2023, according to a recent report from the Pakistan Center for Research and Security Studies. In total, 2,546 people are reported to have died, including civilians and security personnel. The figures mark 2024 as one of the deadliest years for security forces in nearly a decade. 94 per cent of terror-related fatalities occurred in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, regions which only account for 23 per cent of the population. Nearly twice as many deaths occurred in Balochistan compared to 2023. The Pakistani Taliban (formally Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan) and the Baloch Liberation Army were responsible for a majority of attacks.

Sources: Center for Research and Security Studies, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle (DW) 

At the end of November, thousands of supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party marched from Peshawar to Islamabad (160 kms) to protest for the release of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Between 24 and 26 November, police and army forces arrested over 1,000 protestors. The protests are part of continuous and escalating clashes between Khan supporters and state forces. The recent protests are particularly remarkable for directly defying the military, the intense backlash from state forces and their sheer scale. Police and army forces locked down Islamabad, banning all assemblies, blocking the roads with shipping containers, and closing all educational institutions. Internet and telecommunication services were partially shut down as well. Under recent legislation, protests in certain parts of Islamabad, called “red zones”, have been severely limited, while punishments for participating in illegal assemblies have greatly increased.

Sources: Straits Times (1), Straits Times (2), Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle (DW), International IDEA, Dawn 

On 21 October, the Parliament of Pakistan passed the 26th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2024, which grants the authority for naming the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to a special Parliamentary Committee whose members are selected by leaders of parliamentary political parties. Previously, the next most senior judge was named Chief Justice automatically. The amendment further introduced a three-year term for chief justices. The bill was passed just before the current Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa is scheduled to retire, and his scheduled replacement under the previous regulations would have been justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who has previously issued verdicts in favour of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party. The act gives the parliament increased power over the judiciary, and Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warns that the bill threatens judicial independence. 

Sources: National Assembly of Pakistan, Al Jazeera, The Economist

On 6 October, the Pakistan government banned the Pashtun Protection Movement (Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, PTM), an ethnic social movement for Pashtun rights in Pakistan. The Interior Ministry cited peace and security concerns, putting the PTM on the list of proscribed organizations under the country’s anti-terrorism laws. The ban occurred just a few days before a planned assembly of PTM leaders and resulted in protests from PTM supporters, during which three people were killed in clashes with police. Human rights groups warn that banning the PTM is a continuation of the government crackdown on both voices critical of the military establishment and supporters of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan.   

Sources: New York Times, Arab News, Al Jazeera, Amnesty International, Himal Southasian