Summary Mishal Pakistan's first State of Freedom Report 2026 highlights public views on rights, economy, governance, digital access and the major challenges facing the country.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Mishal Pakistan has released the country's first State of Freedom Report 2026, presenting a comprehensive comparison between the constitutional and legal guarantees of institutional and personal freedoms and the practical experiences of citizens.
The report is based on a nationwide survey of 2,000 respondents, including 67 percent graduates, 32 percent master's degree holders and one percent PhD holders.
According to the report, Pakistan's population has crossed 245 million, with 64 percent of citizens under the age of 30. The country has more than 195 million mobile connections, although women are 20 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone.
The report states that broadband users have reached 145 million, while Pakistan has more than 230,000 kilometres of fibre optic network. It also notes that the country's IT and freelance exports have exceeded three billion dollars, while branchless banking wallets have reached between 110 and 120 million users.
According to the survey, 77 percent of Pakistanis feel free to choose their profession, 75 percent hold a positive view about the freedom to do business, and an equal percentage expressed satisfaction with opportunities available to women.
The report says Pakistan's labour force consists of more than 70 million people, while 65 percent of respondents are satisfied with religious freedom and the protection of religious rights. It also notes that the country has nearly 600,000 mosques, 36,000 seminaries, around 2,000 churches and hundreds of temples and gurdwaras.
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It further states that Pakistan has 128.5 million registered voters, while women's participation in the labour force ranges between 20 and 25 percent.
According to the survey, more than 59,000 cases are pending before the Supreme Court, over 450,000 in the high courts and more than 1.74 million in district courts.
The report also highlights that Pakistan's prisons house more than 102,000 inmates, with Sindh's prisons operating at 161 percent above their capacity.
It says around 344 blasphemy-related allegations were reported in 2024, with 62 percent recorded in Punjab and 30 percent in Sindh. Of these, 243 cases involved Muslims and 101 involved non-Muslims.
According to the report, 58 percent of Pakistanis have concerns about financial security. Primary school enrolment stands at 69 percent, while higher education enrolment is approximately 13 percent.
The survey found that 62 percent of citizens believe they have limited influence over government decisions, while 35 percent are optimistic about the country's direction. It also states that 34 percent of respondents consider market competition to be relatively fair.
The report concludes that citizens associate personal freedom with economic opportunities, justice, security, effective governance and digital inclusion. It also identifies climate change, cyber security, misinformation, water scarcity, rapid urbanisation, youth unemployment and economic inequality as key future challenges for Pakistan
