Islamabad: The 2025 Democracy Assessment Report released by PILDAT warns that although the democratic system remained formally intact in Pakistan, the decline in public participation, local governments and civil liberties affected the quality of democracy.
According to the report, voter turnout in by-elections was low; political boycotts and public apathy limited confidence in the electoral process. PILDAT says that this trend is a sign of the weakness of democratic roots.
Criticising the role of political parties, the report said that most parties remained highly centralised and under the influence of certain families, as a result of which internal democracy could not flourish. Along with this, the continued absence of local governments seriously damaged the democratic process at the grassroots level.
Regarding media and civil liberties, the report said that after the amendments to the PECA law, the scope of freedom of expression and media was further restricted, on which journalistic organisations and human rights institutions have expressed reservations.
According to political analysts, the constitutional structure alone is not enough to strengthen democracy, but free media, a functioning local government system and a transparent electoral process are the basic pillars. Experts say that without reforms in these areas, it is difficult to improve democratic standards.
