Pakistan Country Policy and Information Notes for Asylum Decisions
Summary
UK Visas and Immigration updated its Pakistan Country Policy and Information Notes, adding guidance on political parties and affiliation (February 2026), sexual orientation and gender identity (November 2025), and women fearing gender-based violence (October 2025). These documents inform asylum and human rights application decisions.
What changed
UKVI has updated its collection of Country Policy and Information Notes for Pakistan with new and revised guidance covering political parties and affiliation, sexual orientation and gender identity, women fearing gender-based violence, and Ahmadis. These CPINs are used by caseworkers to assess asylum and human rights claims from Pakistani applicants.
Immigration legal practitioners and asylum seekers should be aware that caseworkers now have updated country-of-origin information for Pakistan, particularly regarding political affiliation risks, LGBTQ+ individuals, women facing gender-based violence, and religious minorities. The guidance reflects current conditions and risk profiles for these specific groups.
What to do next
- Monitor for updates to Pakistan Country Policy and Information Notes
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Guidance
Pakistan: country policy and information notes
Guidance used by UK Visas and Immigration to make decisions in asylum and human rights applications.
From: UK Visas and Immigration Published 9 December 2016 Last updated 15 April 2026
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Documents
Country policy and information note: political parties and affiliation, Pakistan, February 2026 (accessible)
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Country policy and information note: political parties and affiliation, Pakistan, February 2026
PDF, 713 KB, 44 pages
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Country policy and information note: sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, Pakistan, November 2025 (accessible)
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Country policy and information note: sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, Pakistan, November 2025
PDF, 519 KB, 44 pages
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Country policy and information note: Women fearing gender-based violence, Pakistan, October 2025 (accessible)
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Country policy and information note: Women fearing gender-based violence, Pakistan, October 2025
PDF, 898 KB, 57 pages
Country policy and information note: Ahmadis, Pakistan, March 2025 (accessible)
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Country policy and information note: Ahmadis, Pakistan, March 2025
PDF, 999 KB, 81 pages
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Country policy and information note: healthcare and medical treatment, Pakistan, July 2024 (accessible)
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Country policy and information note: healthcare and medical treatment, Pakistan, July 2024
PDF, 535 KB, 49 pages
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Country policy and information note: internal relocation, Pakistan, July 2024 (accessible)
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Country policy and information note: internal relocation, Pakistan, July 2024
PDF, 268 KB, 15 pages
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Country policy and information note: Christians and Christian converts, Pakistan, April 2024 (accessible)
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Country policy and information note: Christians and Christian converts, Pakistan, April 2024
PDF, 726 KB, 72 pages
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Country policy and information note: actors of protection, Pakistan, July 2024 (accessible)
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Country policy and information note: actors of protection, Pakistan, July 2024
PDF, 588 KB, 43 pages
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Details
Country policy and information notes (previously known as country information and guidance reports) are used by UK Visas and Immigration officials to make decisions in asylum and human rights applications.
The notes also give information on asylum seekers’ countries of origin.
Published 9 December 2016 Last updated 15 April 2026 show all updates
1.
15 April 2026
The country policy and information note for Hazaras, Pakistan, July 2022 has been removed as it is no longer valid.
2.
5 February 2026
Added the country policy and information note: political parties and affiliation, Pakistan, February 2026.
3.
1 December 2025
Published the country policy and information note: sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, Pakistan, November 2025.
4.
31 October 2025
Updated the country policy and information note on women fearing gender-based violence.
5.
2 June 2025
Updated the country policy and information note on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
6.
24 April 2025
The information on Shia Muslims has been removed. Currently there are no plans to maintain or update this guidance.
7.
12 March 2025
Published the country policy and information note: Ahmadis, Pakistan, March 2025.
8.
13 November 2024
Updated the figure for the mental health workforce in Pakistan.
9.
12 July 2024
Published an updated version of country policy and information note: actors of protection.
10.
10 July 2024
Political parties and affiliation, Pakistan, May 2023, has been removed. Currently there are no plans to maintain or update this guidance.
11.
10 July 2024
Updated the note on healthcare and medical treatment.
12.
9 July 2024
Updated the note on internal relocation, following the October 2023 review commissioned by the Independent Advisory Group on Country Information. Removed the note on documentation, which was out of date.
13.
10 May 2024
Accessible version of 'Country policy and information note: Christians and Christian converts, Pakistan, April 2024' added.
14.
8 May 2024
Published an updated version of the 'Country policy and information note: Christian and Christian converts'.
15.
24 May 2023
Updated section 2.1.2 in guidance on actors of protection.
16.
12 May 2023
Information on political parties and affiliation updated.
17.
14 April 2023
Removed outdated background information, updated the information on actors of protection and added new information on internal relocation.
18.
18 November 2022
Updated the information on women fearing gender-based violence.
19.
25 July 2022
Updated information on Hazaras.
20.
21 June 2022
Removed out of date country policy and information note: prison conditions, Pakistan, November 2019.
21.
13 April 2022
Updated the information on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, Pakistan, to April 2022.
22.
4 November 2021
Removed this out of date CPIN: security and humanitarian situation, including fear of militant groups, Pakistan, January 2019.
23.
7 September 2021
Updated note on Ahmadis published.
24.
13 July 2021
Information on Shia Muslims updated.
25.
23 February 2021
Updated the information on Christians and Christian converts, Pakistan to February 2021 version.
26.
7 December 2020
Added country policy and information note: political parties and affiliation, Pakistan, December 2020.
27.
5 October 2020
Updated the information on medical and healthcare provisions.
28.
2 July 2020
Added Country policy and information note: Pakistan: actors of protection and Country policy and information note: Pakistan background information, including internal relocation documents.
29.
18 March 2020
Updated 'Documentation' country policy and information note for Pakistan.
30.
17 February 2020
Added the Country policy and information note: Women fearing gender-based violence, Pakistan, February 2020.
31.
27 January 2020
Attached 'Country and policy note: documentation, Pakistan, January 2020'.
32.
25 November 2019
Updated Hazaras guidance document
33.
13 November 2019
Country policy and information note on prison conditions added.
34.
2 July 2019
Removed out of date country information and guidance: prison conditions, Pakistan, June 2016 and added updated CPIN: sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, Pakistan, July 2019.
35.
28 March 2019
Updated information on Ahmadis published.
36.
23 January 2019
Added a new document: Pakistan Shia Muslims, Jan 2019
37.
4 January 2019
Updated country policy and information note: Security and humanitarian situation, including fear of militant groups, January 2019. Removed country information and guidance report: fear of the Taliban and other militant groups, Pakistan, May 2014.
38.
17 September 2018
Updated country information and guidance for Christians and Christian converts.
39.
3 August 2018
Uploaded country policy and information note: medical and healthcare issues, August 2018.
40.
20 June 2018
Updated information on Ahmadis published.
41.
27 June 2017
New guidance on background information, including actors of protection, and internal relocation.
42.
26 January 2017
Updated guidance on land disputes.
43.
9 December 2016
First published.
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