EUAA country of origin information report: Pakistan - Country Focus (May 2026)

Country: Pakistan Source: European Union Agency for Asylum The EUAA has just published a new Country of Origin Information (COI) report on Pakistan. The report highlights an increasingly volatile security situation in Pakistan, exacerbated by economic turmoil and political instability, with the country ranked as the most terrorism-affected in 2025. While the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), in coalition with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and smaller allies, remained in power and strengthened its parliamentary position through November 2025 by-elections, the political opposition led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remained constrained by arrests, legal proceedings, and disqualifications. Meanwhile, violence increased in scale and lethality in 2024–2025, with militancy identified as the main driver of insecurity amid intensified state responses. The violence was largely concentrated in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which accounted for most incidents and fatalities. Enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and restrictions on civic space in Pakistan continued, with allegations of legal action and arrests affecting political activists, journalists, and opposition figures. The space for dissent was described as shrinking amid the deployment of security and anti-terrorism laws. Incidents of discrimination and violence against ethnic and religious minorities were also reported. Additional concerns were reported regarding women and children, as well as LGBTIQ+ persons, who faced alleged violence, discrimination, and limited access to services. EU Asylum situation for Pakistani nationals Between November 2024 and March 2026, Pakistani nationals lodged 27 000 applications for international protection in the EU+. In 2025, applications (19 000) decreased by almost a fifth compared to...

Original source: Relief Web