Space for civil society
What's it About?
In a democracy, dissent is not a threat—it is a vital sign of freedom. But in Pakistan, the space for free expression, peaceful protest and civil society action is shrinking at an alarming rate.
Journalists, human rights defenders, students, political workers and civil society activists increasingly face surveillance, harassment, censorship—and in the worst cases, torture, enforced disappearances and even death. Dissent is being rebranded as sedition. Independent media outlets have been silenced, while advocacy organizations struggle to survive under a tightening web of legal and bureaucratic controls. New regulations on NGO funding and operations are hitting rights-based groups the hardest. The result is a chilling climate of fear and self-censorship, with serious consequences for democratic accountability.
At HRCP, we believe that defending civic space is fundamental to protecting all other rights. Without the freedom to speak, organize and protest, justice and accountability become impossible.
In response, we are working to push back against repressive laws that criminalize dissent and curtail freedom of expression and association, document violations against civil society actors, support the revival of student unions and academic freedom as essential spaces for critical thought and leadership, and connect and mobilize civil society to reclaim space for collective action.
This fight is not just about defending our work. It is about safeguarding the right of every person in Pakistan to speak, organize and demand a better future.
