Pakistan has escalated its crackdown on political dissent, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday. The group urged the authorities to release protesters who participated in peaceful protest, respect their rights to fair trial, and comply with international human rights standards when responding to violence.

The HRW report highlights the increasing use of the Anti-Terrorism Act and sedition laws by the Pakistani government to target dissenters. Last month, at least 137 people were discovered to have been designated as “prescribed persons” under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This included falsely portraying Baloch activists from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and other PTM members as members of terrorist groups. The group argued that these laws, initially intended to combat terrorism and maintain public order, are being misapplied against individuals expressing political opposition. Zubair Shah Agha, a member of the PTM’s Central Committee, also told Amnesty International, “[t]here is a long and concerted effort to criminalise our movement through the Anti-Terrorism Act.”

Freedom of speech and peaceful assembly are respectively protected by Articles 19 and 16 in the Constitution of Pakistan. Furthermore, Pakistan is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which mandates the protection of civil liberties, including rights to free expression and assembly. The government’s crackdown on dissenters, including arbitrary detentions, disproportionate use of force and its use of anti-terrorism laws against political activists represent significant violations of these international commitments.

Clashes erupted between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and police in Islamabad during a protest against Khan’s imprisonment, resulting in over 500 arrests and numerous injuries​. Pakistan authorities has also enforced a lockdown in Islamabad last week to counter a protest organized by supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan. This crackdown occurs against a backdrop of growing unrest and a perceived deterioration of civil liberties in Pakistan, as the authorities increasingly use violence and intimidation to suppress opposition​.