Provide specialised training to police officers and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) personnel on ethical interviewing techniques and non-coercive investigative practices, including the Mendez Principles. Build the capacity of the FIA and the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) to initiate and conduct independent, effective torture investigations in line with international standards, including the Istanbul Protocol, the Minnesota Protocol and the Mendez Principles.
Create a robust and autonomous body mandated to conduct regular, unannounced inspections of all places of detention—including police stations, prisons, psychiatric facilities and other custodial settings—to assess treatment of detainees and prevent torture through proactive oversight.
Align the Act with the UN Convention against Torture by explicitly including psychological torture; introducing standalone penalties for offences under the Act; criminalising all forms of sexual violence; removing harsh penalties for mala fide complaints; and ensuring that investigative and medico-legal practices adhere to international standards, including the Istanbul Protocol, Minnesota Protocol, and the Méndez Principles.
Establish an accessible and secure mechanism allowing survivors to report torture confidentially, with strong guarantees of anonymity, protection and support for survivors and witnesses throughout the investigation process.
Establish an external accountability mechanism to review and investigate allegations of torture or misconduct by FIA personnel, strengthening transparency and institutional integrity.
Institute mechanisms to systematically record, disaggregate and publicly share data on torture-related complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions in all provinces, supporting evidence-based policy reforms and accountability.
Ensure that all victims of torture have access to holistic, state-supported rehabilitation services—including medical, psychological and legal assistance—while expanding free legal aid to underserved regions and vulnerable populations.
Incorporate the Istanbul Protocol, Minnesota Protocol, Méndez Principles and other human rights standards into the training curricula for judicial officers and prosecutors to enhance their capacity to detect, document and adjudicate torture cases effectively.
Ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and amend the Penal Code to criminalise all forms of torture—including threats and psychological harm—without allowing for compromise or out-of-court settlements.
Establish a comprehensive redress mechanism for victims of enforced disappearance and their families, providing compensation, acknowledgement and access to rehabilitation services in accordance with international standards.
Pakistan’s reporting on compliance with the UN Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as under the GSP+ monitoring mechanism, has largely been consistent and timely. Engagement with international bodies on Pakistan’s international human rights law compliance has seen a welcome increase in recent years, and it is hoped that this trend will continue.
The Prosecutor General of Punjab initiated the first ever suo moto prosecution of police torture under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022, an ongoing case which has seen the prosecution of police officials on behalf of a transgender person. This promising initiative should be mirrored and built upon by the authorities charged with investigation and prosecution under the Act, with provincial prosecution departments given an active role in the legal framework.
The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) plays a crucial role in highlighting and preventing torture by public officials through the regular exercise of their mandate to visit and inquire into any place of detention. They have published reports on torture by police and prison officials, and a training manual on investigating complaints of torture. It is important that the NCHR receive adequate resources and continue to proactively work on promoting freedom from torture and CIDT.
Access to information must be guaranteed in every society, both in law and practice, to ensure State transparency and accountability. It allows organisations, journalists, and interested individuals to request data on the actions of public bodies, protocols, and statistics on human rights violations. This right not only enhances public debate and civic participation in decision-making but also helps improve public policies and safeguards the dignity of individuals in State custody. Civil society organisations and human rights defenders play a key role in monitoring access to information laws and their implementation. This indicator reflects the challenges of accessing information within the country—the higher the score, the less transparent the State.
