Rule of Law Index reveals low rankings for Pakistan and Afghanistan

The World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2025 and 2026 reports highlight significant legal challenges in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pakistan ranked 130th out of 143 countries. The index assessed areas such as corruption, fundamental rights, and criminal justice, where Pakistan placed 101st. The report follows the sentencing of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison each by an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee condemned the verdict, alleging it is an attempt to silence those defending human rights.

Afghanistan ranked 142nd out of 143 countries, nearly the lowest globally. Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban has suspended the Afghan constitution, governing instead through decrees and regulations based on their interpretation of Sharia. Legal experts have raised concerns regarding the lack of a constitutional framework to define the powers of leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and the absence of checks on authority, particularly following the implementation of laws restricting personal freedoms and women's rights.