Pakistan unveils first-ever State of Freedom Report-2026

ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP): Pakistan today marked a significant milestone in governance research and public policy with the launch of the country’s first-ever State of Freedom Report – Pakistan 2026, a comprehensive national assessment examining political, civil, economic, digital, legal and social freedoms.

Developed by Mishal Pakistan, the Country Partner Institute of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Pakistan, the report established the country’s first evidence-based national benchmark for measuring freedom, public trust, institutional performance, citizen empowerment and governance outcomes, said a press release.

The report was launched at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) in collaboration with the China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC). The event brought together senior government officials, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps, academics, media professionals, civil society representatives and policy experts. Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law and Justice, attended as Chief Guest.

Opening the event, Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director of the China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC), ISSI, highlighted the importance of evidence-based research in informing public policy and strengthening national dialogue on governance, rights, and citizen empowerment. Welcoming participants, Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governors, ISSI, emphasized the importance of informed policy discourse and noted that understanding citizens’ perceptions is essential for strengthening institutions and improving governance outcomes.

The State of Freedom Report – Pakistan 2026 is Pakistan’s first comprehensive national effort to evaluate freedom across six key dimensions: Political Freedom, Civil Liberties, Rule of Law and Access to Justice, Economic Freedom, Digital Freedom and Access to Information, and Social Inclusion, Gender and Public Trust. The report combined constitutional and legal analysis, institutional indicators, international benchmarking, expert consultations, and findings from a nationwide National Freedom Perception and TRUST Survey covering approximately 2,000 respondents across Pakistan.

Key Findings of the report presented a nuanced picture of Pakistan’s evolving freedom landscape, highlighting both institutional progress and areas requiring continued policy attention.

Among the report’s major findings are 77 percent of respondents believe citizens are free to choose their profession and occupation. 75 percent believed businesses can operate without undue government interference. 75 percent expressed positive perceptions regarding women’s opportunities and empowerment. 65 percent report positive perceptions regarding freedom of religion and religious protections. 69 percent believed long-term national planning should extend beyond five years. 62 percent feel ordinary citizens have limited influence over government decision-making. 58 expressed concerns regarding their financial security and economic well-being. 55 percent expressed concerns about access to impartial and unbiased information.

The report highlights Pakistan’s growing digital transformation, noting that the country now has more than 190 million cellular subscriptions, between 140–150 million broadband users, and approximately 70 million active social media users. Pakistan’s IT and freelance exports now exceed US$3 billion annually, creating new opportunities for economic participation and digital empowerment.

Survey findings show that digital platforms have become the primary source of information for many Pakistanis. 24.8 percent of respondents identified Facebook as their primary source of information, followed by 19.9 percent relying on WhatsApp, 18 percent on websites and online news portals, and 15 percent each on X (formerly Twitter) and television.

The report also highlights the growing importance of digital governance. During the reporting period, Pakistan submitted more than 15,391 content and account-related requests to major global digital platforms concerning cybersecurity, hate speech, misinformation, extremist content, impersonation and unlawful online activity. Public transparency reports indicate that approximately 45.8 percent of these requests resulted in platform actions, including content restrictions, removals, or account-related enforcement measures.

The report notes that Pakistan possesses one of the region’s most vibrant media and information ecosystems, with more than 120 licensed television channels, hundreds of newspapers and publications, and an increasingly influential digital media sector.

On social inclusion and gender, the report notes that women currently account for approximately 20–25 percent of the labour force, compared to 65–68 percent labour force participation among men. Despite these disparities, survey findings indicate strong public support for expanding opportunities and participation for women, youth and marginalized communities.

The report also highlights institutional challenges in the justice sector. Pakistan’s courts currently face more than 2.2 million pending cases, while prisons house more than 102,000 inmates, underscoring the importance of continued reforms aimed at improving access to justice, reducing procedural delays, and strengthening public confidence in legal institutions.

The report identifies several emerging issues that are likely to shape Pakistan’s future freedom landscape, including climate change, water scarcity, cybersecurity threats, misinformation and disinformation, rapid urbanization, youth unemployment, and economic inequality.

Addressing the gathering, Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law and Justice, welcomed the publication of Pakistan’s first Freedom Report and underscored the importance of evidence-based policymaking, citizen engagement, constitutional governance and institutional accountability. He said, “Freedom is strengthened when citizens feel heard, institutions remain accountable, and policymaking is informed by evidence. This report is an important contribution toward that national objective.”

The Minister noted that Pakistan’s constitutional framework provides extensive protections for fundamental rights and that ongoing legal and institutional reforms seek to strengthen access to justice, transparency, accountability and citizen participation.

Presenting the report, Amir Jahangir, Co-Author of the Freedom Report 2026 and Chief Executive Officer of Mishal Pakistan, described the publication as a historic milestone in Pakistan’s governance and policy landscape. He shared, “For decades, Pakistan has largely been assessed through external indices and international reports. The State of Freedom Report represents Pakistan’s first indigenous, evidence-based effort to understand freedoms through our own constitutional, institutional, economic and societal realities. It is designed not as a scorecard of criticism but as a governance tool to strengthen institutions, improve citizen outcomes and support informed policymaking.”

Puruesh Chaudhary, Co-Author of the report, President of AGAHI and a leading futurist and governance expert, emphasized the importance of citizen trust, inclusion and future readiness. She said, “Freedom is ultimately about dignity, opportunity, participation, inclusion and trust. Citizens increasingly associate freedom with political empowerment, economic opportunity, digital access, institutional fairness, security and social inclusion. Building resilient and future-ready societies requires that these dimensions be continuously measured, understood and strengthened.”

Speaking at the launch, Shafique Chaudhry, Executive Director of the Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR), stated that freedom must be understood not only through constitutional guarantees but also through the lived experiences of citizens and the performance of institutions.

Farzana Yaqoob, Eisenhower Fellow, Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and former Minister for Women Development and Social Welfare, AJK, highlighted the importance of inclusion, women’s empowerment and equal opportunity as essential pillars of a free and progressive society.

The report concludes that Pakistan possesses strong constitutional foundations, institutional resilience, demographic strength, entrepreneurial potential and digital momentum. However, long-term progress will depend upon the country’s ability to translate constitutional guarantees, governance reforms and economic opportunities into measurable improvements in citizen experience, public trust, institutional performance and inclusive development.

As Pakistan’s first national freedom benchmark, the State of Freedom Report – Pakistan 2026 establishes a baseline for future measurement and informed dialogue on freedom, governance, rights, inclusion, institutional development and democratic resilience. The report proposes the establishment of a long-term freedom monitoring framework to track developments across political, economic, social, legal and digital dimensions.

Mishal Pakistan is a leading public policy, governance, competitiveness and strategic communications institution working at the intersection of economic development, institutional reform, sustainability, media and emerging technologies. As the Country Partner Institute of the World Economic Forum in Pakistan, Mishal Pakistan contributes national insights, stakeholder engagement, policy dialogue and research to global and national development discussions.

Each year, Mishal Pakistan contributes to and facilitates Pakistan’s participation in major international assessments, including the Global Risks Report, Global Gender Gap Report, Future of Jobs Report, Executive Opinion Survey, Travel & Tourism Development Index, Network Readiness Index, Global Growth Report and other leading governance and competitiveness studies.

Mishal Pakistan also independently publishes nationally recognized reports including the Pakistan Reforms Report, State of Freedom Report, Media Credibility Index, Governance Accountability Index and Future of Jobs Pakistan.