Annex 2: Terms of Reference

Table of contents

EUAA COI Country Focus report on Pakistan (2026)

The reference period is 1 November 2024 – 6 April 2026

Country overview

  • Basic information such as geography, demography, ethnic groups and languages

  • State structure (executive, legislative and judicial branches)

  • Background and political developments

  • Recent political developments

    • Political developments in Pakistan since 1 November 2024

    • Situation of Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) members and supporters since November 2024

  • Regional context

    • Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan (and impact on internal security)

    • Relations between Pakistan and India (including cross border incidents at the Line of Control (LoC)

    • Relation with Iran

  • Main armed actors (capacity, areas of operation, motives/activities, methods)

  • Armed forces of Pakistan including the Pakistani army, Federal Investigative Agency (FIA), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Frontier Corps (FC), Levies and Khassadars, the Rangers, the Pakistani police, and pro-government armed militia

  • Main non-state armed groups including Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ul Ahrar (JuA), Al-Qaeda (AQ), Jamaat-ul Ansar Al-Sharia, Punjabi Taliban, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Islamic State Pakistan Province (ISPP), Haqqani network, Sipah-e Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ), Sipah-e Mohammed Pakistan (SMP), Balochistan nationalist groups, other local/small militia groups

  • Security situation

  • Overall security trends and conflict drivers since November 2024

  • Surge in militant violence: TTP attacks, ISKP, Baloch insurgency.

  • Impact of Afghanistan’s Taliban on internal security.

  • Border security: incidents along the Durand Line, border fence, cross-border infiltrations.

  • Security situation per province

-> For each province and territory listed below, basic geography, population estimates, ethnicity and economy; presence and general activity of actors, recent security incidents; impact on civilian population and infrastructure, displacement, including volume and causes of population movements, situation of IDPs and returnees:

  • Punjab

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) (including former FATA and a description of the KP tribal districts in detail)

  • Balochistan

  • Sindh

  • Islamabad Capital Territory

  • Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan

  • Structure and functioning of the justice system

  • Formal and informal systems

  • Major judicial and constitutional reforms

  • Applicable laws including the introduction of the 28th Constitutional Amendment bill, and the 26th Amendment, as well as sharia law

  • Blasphemy law

  • Anti-Terrorism Acts

  • Punishments under the law

  • Detention, including conditions and use of torture

  • Death penalty (applicable law and execution of death sentences)

  • Effectiveness and integrity of law enforcement and judiciary

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

  • Treatment of certain profiles and groups of population

  • Overview of human rights situation

  • Information on targeting dynamics, perpetrators and types of targeting (e.g. threat, arrests, disappearance, killing, etc.) for specific groups:

    • Ethnic minorities, including Pashtuns, Baloch people, Sindhis, Mohajirs, Kashmiris, Hazaras, Kalash people

    • Religious minorities, including Ahmadiyya community, Zikris, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs, Shia Muslims

    • Individuals perceived as transgressing religious and moral codes including conversion, apostasy, atheism, blasphemy, interfaith marriages, consumption of alcohol

    • Situation of women and girls, including forced and child marriage, domestic and honour-related violence and access to justice

    • Children

    • LGBTIQ+ persons and activists for LGBTIQ+ rights

    • Members and supporters of opposition parties (including supporters of PTI, and supporters of Muttahida Qaumi Movement–London (MQM-L) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P)

    • Human rights defenders and activists (including the issue of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement/MTM elaborated – the current situation of its members and supporters)

    • Protesters

    • Journalists and media workers

    • Education personnel

    • Trafficking in human beings

    • Land dispute and blood feud related violence (including by family and clan members)

  • Overview of the socio-economic situation including climate-induced displacement

Key-socio economic indicators with focus on Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore

  • Economic situation

  • Employment (formal and informal; access for women, youth, IDPs)

  • Poverty (general trends, urban poverty, female-headed household, IDPs)

  • Food security (prevalence, IDPs)

  • Housing and living conditions

  • Education

  • Health care (overview, access to treatment; access for specific profiles; general situation of individuals with severe disabilities)

  • Availability of state support mechanism for individuals without social network (women; orphans; IDPs and returnees)

  • Mobility and internal travel (international and domestic flights)

  • Access to airports and freedom of movement (incl. any legal entry and settlement requirements)