Guidance note

GUIDANCE NOTE
Last update: October 2026

Among the main Actors of persecution or serious harm who are reported to commit serious human rights violations, state actors include the Pakistani armed forces, Intelligence services, paramilitary groups and the police. They are nationwide present, with dense deployment in conflict-affected areas. Also reported to commit serious human rights violations, non-state actors include regionally anchored armed groups and the society at large, community members, and even family members.

Among the most commonly encountered profiles of applicants for international protection, the following would in general have a well-founded fear of persecution and would highly likely qualify for refugee status:

Further guidance is provided on the risk-impacting circumstances which may affect the probability of granting refugee status for the following profiles:

For persons under the following profiles the threshold of persecution would be reached in exceptional cases:

If an applicant is not considered eligible for refugee status, the assessment should proceed with the examination of subsidiary protection.

With regard to Article 15(a) QR: death penalty or execution, while no executions were reported since 2019, if there is real risk of execution, and no nexus to a reason for persecution can be substantiated, subsidiary protection under Article 15(a) QR shall be granted.

Article 15(b) QR: torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment may be applicable, when no nexus to a reason for persecution can be substantiated, to cases of Arbitrary arrests, illegal detention and prison conditions, Trafficking in human beings and Violence in relation to land disputes.

With regard to subsidiary protection under Article 15(c) QR, the guidance provides an assessment of the level of indiscriminate violence as displayed in the map below. Notably, it is assessed that indiscriminate violence takes place in Balochistan and South and West Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), however not at a high level. In the provinces of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), North and East Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) including Peshawar, Pakistan Administered Kashmir, Punjab, and Sindh, there is no real risk for a civilian to be personally affected within the meaning of Article 15(c) QR.

While the Pakistani state is generally able to provide protection across most of its territory, its willingness to do so can be undermined by several factors (see Actors of protection).

It is further assessed that Internal protection alternative may be applicable in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, depending on the profile and individual circumstances of the applicant. This conclusion is without prejudice to the possibility to apply IPA to other locations in Pakistan.