Islamabad [Pakistan], January 15 : In early January 2026, Pakistan's military-backed government launched a sweeping effort to silence dissent that goes far beyond its borders, trying and convicting several journalists and political commentators in absentia to life imprisonment for their alleged roles in the 2023 unrest following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, writes Marcus Andreopoulos for The Diplomat.
These convictions, tied to the nationwide riots that erupted after Khan's detention, underscore how deeply the state perceives critical voices as a threat to its grip on power.
"The Pakistani state regards dissidents as posing an existential threat to its survival," the report states, a characterization that has informed both intensified domestic repression and actions reaching into Western capitals. Khan's enduring popularity since his ouster in 2022 has kept tensions high between his supporters and the ruling front-Army combine.
Within Pakistan, the state has mobilized anti-terror legislation, military trials, and expanded censorship to stifle criticism. Pakistan's sizable diaspora community abroad has become a focal point in Islamabad's efforts to deter opposition.
According to the Diplomat, in late December, prominent dissidents reported alarming incidents that have raised concerns about coordinated intimidation. Adil Raja, a former army major and outspoken critic, reported on social platform X that his London home had been "broken into and ransacked by unknown assailants." J
ust days later, Moeed Pirzada, another high-profile journalist convicted by the Pakistani court, shared details on social media about what he described as a "suspected arson attempt at his residence in the United States", though he stopped short of directly implicating the Pakistani state. Reports also emerged of a raid at Mirza Shahzad Akbar's London home, a former adviser to Khan and a vocal critic of Pakistan's Army Chief, Asim Munir.
While there is no official confirmation linking these incidents to Pakistan's security apparatus, the timing following the convictions and just after Islamabad formally requested the extradition of Raja and Akbar from the United Kingdom, has drawn intense scrutiny.
According to the Diplomat, critics argue that these transnational tactics reflect a broader trend of authoritarianism in Pakistan, where the military's need to maintain absolute control eclipses democratic norms. By extending repression onto foreign soil, Pakistan risks diplomatic isolation and potential strife with Western partners, particularly the United Kingdom, where no formal extradition treaty with Islamabad exists. Conducting hostile acts against residents in Britain, analysts say, could imperil bilateral relations and embolden global criticism of Pakistan's human rights record.
Ironically, while Islamabad's intent may be to suppress dissent, such heavy-handed measures abroad have amplified the voices of critics like Khan and his allies among Western lawmakers and media, drawing international attention to what many see as Pakistan's accelerating slide toward authoritarian rule.
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