COI Query Response - Pakistan: Major political, human rights and security developments

Country: Pakistan Source: European Union Agency for Asylum Please refer to the attached file. 1. Political and human rights developments According to European Parliament, as of 9 July 2026, human rights violations remained a concern in Pakistan, including reported cases of abduction, forced conversion, and forced marriage of girls under the age of 18 belonging to religious minorities.1 On 5 June 2026, authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir designated the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) as a proscribed organisation under the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014.2 Amnesty International reported that the designation followed a crackdown on protests that included reports of an internet shutdown, mass arrests and the use of force, while JAAClinked activists stated that the measures had restricted the flow of information from the region and that individuals reporting on the protests had been targeted by authorities.3 The announcement came alongside the government’s decision to hold elections in Pakistanadministered Jammu and Kashmir on 27 July 2026. 4 As of 11 July 2026, political tension continued in Azad Jammu and Kashmir following the proscription of JAAC.5 On 22 June 2026, Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Court in Balochistan sentenced Dr Mahrang Baloch, leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), and human rights defender Sibghatullah Shahji to life imprisonment in connection with allegations that speeches delivered during a July 2024 protest had incited violence leading to the death of a security officer. 6 On 8 July 2026, UN experts stated that the convictions raised serious due process concerns and reflected the misuse of counter-terrorism legislation to restrict the peaceful exercise of fundamental rights. 7 On 10 July 2026, police in Hyderabad (Sindh Province) registered anti-terrorism cases against 41 workers and leaders of the banned Tehreek-e Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) political party, alleging that they had continued organising and recruiting for the party despite the federal ban. 8
2026-07-24 12:03:08