Amnesty International South Asia

12/10/2026

PAKISTAN: Responding to the declaration of a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the imposition of governor rule and the deployment of armed forces in the province, Amnesty International said:

“Reports of arbitrary detentions of key leaders – including the provincial chief minister – and internet disruptions across the province raise concerns about the proportionality of these emergency measures. While states may, in strictly limited circumstances, derogate from their human rights obligations to respond to a public emergency that threatens the existence of the nation, emergency measures are not a blank cheque to crack down on human rights, silence dissent, or concentrate power.”

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Responding to the declaration of a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the imposition of governor rule and the deployment of armed forces in the province, Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for South Asia, said: “Reports of arbitrary detentions of key leaders...

10/10/2026

Pakistan: The Anti-Terrorism (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2026, raises serious concerns about the right to a fair trial.

In a new public statement, Amnesty International examines the amendment against Pakistan’s obligations under international human rights law and highlights how expansion of anti-terror powers, weakened due process safeguards and increased executive discretion risk undermining fundamental fair trial guarantees.

Read the statement here:

The Anti-Terrorism (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2026, passed by the provincial assembly in Punjab province on 31 August 2026, to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (henceforth referred as “ATA”) is a glaring attack on the right to fair trial in Pakistan. The amendment creates a mechanism for trials s...

08/10/2026

Saudi Arabia: Authorities must urgently overturn the death sentence issued against Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan national migrant worker on charges of "blasphemy" over social media post.

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Saudi Arabia’s authorities must urgently overturn the death sentence issued against a migrant worker on charges of “blasphemy”, said Amnesty International today. The organization is calling on Saudi authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally given his charges stem entirely from...

05/10/2026

Farzana Rupa was Ekattor Television's chief report, and Mozammel Haque was its managing director. According to media reports, the charges against the two, brought on 7 March, relate to their reporting of the deadly crackdown during the Saphala Square protests in May 2013 on members of Hefazat-e-Islam, a conservative religious movement in Bangladesh. Media reports stated the prosecutor alleged the TV channel aired a 'misleading' report, implying there were no casualties, to distract the public from the actual death toll.

Freedom of expression extends to information which some may find offensive, shocking, or disturbing. Respect for this right is essential to ensuring healthy public discourse in a rights-respecting society. Journalists must not be targeted for opinions which are disagreeable, or their perceived links to political parties.

Bangladeshi authorities must immediately drop charges arising from their journalism and protect freedom of expression and media freedom, in line with Bangladesh's international human rights obligations.

21/09/2026

Responding to the arbitrary detention of members of former prime minister Imran Khan’s family, including his three sisters, as well as activists from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ahead of the party’s planned protests and march on 27 September, Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said:

“The targeting of Imran Khan’s family and PTI party activists is a flagrant violation of their rights to liberty, freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Such actions speak to the severity of the current restrictions in Pakistan.

“The pre-emptive arrests of PTI members come ahead of planned country-wide protests by the party on 27 September, which government officials have openly vowed to stop. Roadblocks are already being erected in Islamabad. These developments do not bode well, especially given the authorities’ long track record of reckless and unlawful use of force against protesters. A protest cannot be deemed violent before it has even started. Pakistan’s authorities must uphold their obligations under international human rights law to facilitate peaceful assembly and refrain from unlawful measures to thwart these protests."

Responding to the arbitrary detention of members of former prime minister Imran Khan’s family, including his three sisters, as well as activists from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ahead of the party’s planned protests and march on 27 September , Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy R...

18/09/2026

Reacting to the re-arrest of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha just hours after they had been granted bail by the Supreme Court yesterday, Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said:

“Imaan and Hadi’s re-arrest dispels any pretence that the charges against them are anything other than a politically motivated attempt to punish them for their human rights work. Their case demonstrates once again the authorities’ willingness to weaponize the legal system against critical voices.

“These latest charges, brought against them for simply attending a peaceful protest, are not only absurd but an insult to their lifelong commitment to human rights.

“The Pakistani authorities must stop misusing the justice system to target Imaan and Hadi. They must be released immediately and unconditionally, with no further charges to prolong their detention. Imaan and Hadi should be free to meet their friends and family and to do the work they love – representing victims of human rights violations.”

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Human rights lawyers rearrested just hours after they had been granted bail by the Supreme Court

17/09/2026

PAKISTAN: The Supreme Court's order today granting bail to human rights lawyers Imaan-Mazari Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, and the suspension of their sentence, is a welcome step and a long overdue relief towards undoing immense injustice against them. Imaan and Hadi have been unlawfully imprisoned for nearly eight months as a result of their human rights work.

Amnesty International urges the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release them, quash their sentences and ensure that no new charges are brought against them to unlawfully deny them their right to liberty.

11/09/2026

PAKISTAN: Journalist Sayed Qasim Hashemi and artist Hamed Ehsas, both Afghan nationals who fled Afghanistan immediately after the Taliban takeover, have been missing for over two months, since 4 July, from Islamabad. Since then, their families have not been able to reach them since, and the police authorities have refused to register cases. The circumstances raise concerns that they may have been subjected to enforced disappearance or arbitrary detention.

Pakistani authorities must urgently investigate their disappearance, establish their fate and whereabouts, and provide answers to their families.

✍️ Take action now: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa33/1439/2026/en/

08/09/2026

PAKISTAN: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council's decision requiring Afghan medical students in Pakistan to return to Afghanistan is patently discriminatory and arbitrary in nature. The consequences of this decision are especially severe for female students, many of whom have already been denied access to higher education in Afghanistan amid Taliban’s ongoing gender persecution and now face the prospect of losing one of the few remaining pathways to pursue their education and profession. Many of these students will have devoted years studying medicine, only to see their education brought to an abrupt and unjustifiable end, with little prospect of being able to resume their studies elsewhere.

Pakistan has obligations under international human rights law to uphold the right to education without discrimination on the basis of national origin. Amnesty International urges the authorities to adopt a humane and practical solution that allows Afghan students, including women and girls, to complete their education.

07/09/2026

PAKISTAN: Human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha remain behind bars for more than seven months while their appeals languish in Pakistan's courts. Meanwhile, there are concerns about Imaan's worsening health and access to adequate medical care.

No one should be imprisoned for peacefully expressing their views.

📢 Demand their immediate and unconditional release and access to urgent healthcare.

✍️ Take action: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa33/1404/2026/en/