5.10. Legal remedies against human rights violations and support mechanisms for the victims and family members

The constitutional framework provides for remedies for victims of human rights violations, mainly through petitions under Article 1991180 which grants High Courts jurisdiction to order an official to ‘refrain from doing anything he is not permitted by law’ and jurisdiction to decide on whether a person ‘is not being held in custody without lawful authority or in an unlawful manner’.1181 However, it was noted in early 2026 that a judiciary that may have been weakened by recent reforms could be ‘less able to provide effective remedies’.1182

Lodging a First Information Report (FIR) has been described as the initial step in the investigation of a possible violation/criminal offence.1183 The CrCP, 1898, stipulates in section 154 that ‘information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence’,1184 when given orally to a police officer, ‘shall be reduced to writing by him or under his direction, and be read over to the informant’. Subsequently, the FIR ‘shall be signed by the person giving it’ and recorded by the police officer.1185 The informant lodging a FIR may be any individual who has knowledge of the commission of the cognizable offence and does not necessarily have to be the victim.1186 In cases where police refuse to register a FIR, victims can, amongst others, take legal action by submitting a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police (SP) or refer to a magistrate to seek directions on registering the FIR.1187 The law further provides for penal and civil remedies for individuals against whom a false FIR has been filed.1188 No information could be found on legal mechanisms of support for family members of victims of human rights violations. For detailed information on human rights violations in Pakistan, see section 6. Treatment of certain profiles and groups of population.