Islamabad — Pakistan is facing renewed international criticism after the arrest and sentencing of two prominent human rights advocates, a move that watchdogs say reflects the growing use of the country’s judicial system to silence dissent.
The International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) said this week that Pakistani authorities have increasingly weaponized legal mechanisms to criminalize freedom of expression, citing the case of lawyers and activists Imaan Zahir Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatta. The pair have represented marginalized communities, including activists from the restive province of Balochistan, and have been outspoken critics of state abuses.
According to IHRF, their prosecution is part of a broader pattern rather than an isolated incident. “Pakistan is demonstrating the hallmarks of an authoritarian system in which laws are selectively enforced to protect those in power while suppressing critical voices,” the organization said in a statement.
Human rights groups have long accused Pakistan’s powerful military establishment and its civilian allies of exerting undue influence over the courts, the media, and elected institutions. Critics argue that legal tools originally designed to maintain public order are increasingly being deployed against journalists, lawyers, and political activists.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has been a particular flashpoint. Activists there have alleged enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on political organizing — claims that authorities routinely deny.
IHRF called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mazari and Chatta and urged the international community to press Islamabad on what it described as “systematic violations of judicial independence and fundamental freedoms.”
Pakistan’s government has previously rejected accusations of political repression, maintaining that its courts operate independently and that all legal actions are taken in accordance with the law. Officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the IHRF statement.
The case comes amid heightened global attention on democratic backsliding in South Asia, with rights organizations warning that continued crackdowns on dissent risk further isolating Pakistan on the international stage.
