By 
30-04-2026 | Dominik Miklósi | Asia Researcher, Global Human Rights Defence.
Amnesty International’s annual report that examines the state of human rights around the globe during 2025 was published recently, offering an insightful and extensive analysis of a wide palette of states. Among others, the document also explores the status of fundamental freedoms in Pakistan, detailing violations across several basic rights dimensions.
On April 21st, 2026, Amnesty International published its extensive annual report titled “The State of the World’s Human Rights: April 2026”. The over 400-page document scrutinises various human rights issues and developments that emerged during 2025 in 144 countries. It sheds light on concerns from different angles, including local, domestic, and global perspectives.
This year’s publication sees the light of day in a substantially different global context compared to previous years, a point highlighted by Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. According to the French activist, “What marks this moment as fundamentally different is that we’re no longer documenting erosion around the system’s edges”. Beyond that, Callamard explained that “This is a direct assault on the foundations of human rights and the international rules-based order by the most powerful actors for the purpose of control, impunity and profit”.
Alongside many other South Asian states, the report also delves into the human rights dimension of Pakistan. The country’s name appears in relation to multiple basic rights concerns, for instance, in the context of punitive and authoritarian practices. Specifically, the report details the illegal use of force by authorities that led to the killings of demonstrators. The document lists Pakistan among states with such repressive regimes as North Korea and Myanmar, stating that it has used enforced disappearances to silence civil society actors who have raised their voices against injustices. Moreover, it has mentioned how Pakistan has been responsible for discriminatory treatment, infringing upon the rights of migrants and refugees. Along with Iran, it “forced the return of or deported more than 1.8 million and 990,000 Afghans respectively, despite ongoing Taliban abuses”, potentially disregarding the principle of non-refoulement. Additionally, deliberately undercutting the citizens’ right to freedom of expression, the Pakistani authorities introduced limitations on internet access across the country.
The report of Amnesty International documents serious human rights issues in Pakistan, which must be addressed urgently to ensure the freedom and safety of every individual who lives in, crosses through, or enters the South Asian country’s territory.
