The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad in collaboration with Mishal Pakistan launched the State of Freedom Report Pakistan 2026, presenting the country’s first comprehensive national assessment across political, civil, economic, digital, legal and social freedoms.
Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law and Justice and chief guest at the event, welcomed the Freedom Report and stressed the need for 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.” He also highlighted ongoing legal and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening access to justice, transparency and participation.
Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, chairman of the ISSI Board of Governors, praised Mishal Pakistan’s work and pointed to Pakistan’s rapid digital transformation, an expanding entrepreneurial ecosystem and the growing contribution of the IT sector to the national economy. Referring to the Freedom Report findings, he noted encouraging public perceptions on economic participation, business facilitation and women’s empowerment while underlining the need for continued focus on economic security, governance performance and institutional responsiveness.
Amir Jahangir, CEO of Mishal Pakistan and co-author of the study, described the Freedom Report as Pakistan’s first indigenous, evidence based benchmark that measures freedom against the country’s constitutional, institutional and social realities. The report assesses six dimensions including 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, drawing on legal analysis, institutional indicators, expert consultations and a nationwide survey of approximately 2,000 respondents.
The Freedom Report highlights several key perceptions: 77 percent of respondents believe citizens are free to choose their profession, 75 percent perceive businesses operate without undue government interference, and 75 percent express positive views on women’s opportunities and empowerment. The study also underscores the growing reliance on digital platforms for information and civic participation alongside the country’s accelerating digital shift.
Shafique Chaudhry of the Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights underlined the importance of institutional fairness and rights protection in building public confidence, while Farzana Yaqoob, an Eisenhower Fellow and former minister, stressed that expanding women’s participation and inclusion remains central to sustainable development. Dr Talat Shabbir of the China Pakistan Study Centre noted that contemporary notions of freedom extend beyond constitutional guarantees to include economic opportunity, digital access, social inclusion and public trust.
The launch convened parliamentarians, diplomats, academics, media, civil society representatives, researchers and policy experts to discuss the evolving dimensions of freedom and governance in Pakistan and to chart how the Freedom Report can inform policy and public debate going forward.
