LAHORE: A fact-finding report released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has observed that the continued shrinking of civic space and systematic curtailment of rights-based NGOs across Punjab is a symptom of the democratic backsliding that Pakistan is currently experiencing.

Titled ‘Regulation or Restriction?,’ the report documents cases in which the NGOs have been subjected to multilayered approval processes, including mandatory MoUs with the Economic Affairs Division, district-level no-objection certificates (NOCs) and security clearance prior to registration. These requirements have been compounded by compulsory reregistration under provincial charities commissions.

This has not only interfered with the scale and scope of NGO operation but even led to the suspension or closure of critical programmes on human rights and democracy. While courts have provided intermittent relief, most notably by striking down the 2022 EAD policy, the absence of a coherent, rights-compliant legislative framework has continued to enable administrative overreach, says the report.

According to the HRCP, evidence gathered by the fact-finding mission indicates that state authorities have increasingly relied on bureaucratic controls — such as withholding permissions, freezing bank accounts and subjecting organisations to repeated scrutiny — to exert pressure while maintaining the appearance of legality.

These measures have disproportionately targeted rights-based organisations, forcing many to divert resources toward compliance, scale back operations, or shift away from advocacy work altogether. The impact has been particularly severe for women-led and minority-focused organisations, which face compounded vulnerabilities, including threats from non-state actors and limited access to institutional support.

Speaking at a seminar held to discuss the report’s findings earlier on Friday, mission member Zeeshan Noel said, “Pakistan is experiencing a gradual form of democratic backsliding with the incremental shrinking of civic space through legal and policy instruments”.

Mission member Naseem Anthony observed that this process had also resulted in the intellectual impoverishment of society. Lawyer Saqib Jillani added that it was therefore necessary for lawyers fighting cases against the EAD’s 2022 policy to work in unison.

Simorgh executive coordinator Neelam Hussain observed that NGOs’ will to resist and engage in dialogue must remain intact even in the face of the funding squeeze.

Joint Action Committee convener Irfan Mufti said there had been a sharp decline in new NGO registrations, with multiple law enforcement agencies involved in this oversight.

WISE executive director Bushra Khaliq pointed out that women-led NGOs in South Punjab had been particularly affected by these regulatory regimes.

Peter Jacob, executive director of the Centre for Social Justice, felt that the current moment also presented an opportunity for civil society organisations and networks to align and respond strategically. Concluding the seminar, HRCP Punjab vice-chair Raja Ashraf said that rights were being rolled back systematically as part of a broader institutional approach.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2026