Colombo: Pakistan’s military-led regime under General Asim Munir has faced growing challenges over the past three years while trying to tighten control through what observers describe as a “hard state” approach focused on political repression, militarised governance and constitutional restructuring, according to a report by Sri Lankan outlet News Wire.
The report said the number of political prisoners in Pakistan has risen sharply, with former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife remaining jailed for nearly three years. Members of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have also faced legal and extra-legal crackdowns.
Public gatherings, especially in Islamabad, are increasingly being restricted as authorities seek to suppress PTI-led mobilisation. While the strategy has weakened protest momentum in Punjab since 2023, the report noted that Khan continues to enjoy significant public support despite being imprisoned.
The report added that the government has expanded digital controls through internet firewalls and the enforcement of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which has been used to target online criticism of the military and state institutions.
Human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha were reportedly sentenced under PECA over social media posts criticising enforced disappearances in Balochistan. A Canadian doctoral student conducting academic research in Pakistan was also charged under cybercrime laws after reportedly going missing for several days.
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