- Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK
- The UK branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, which can provide verification of Ahmadi identity and membership for asylum proceedings. Verification is separate from independent expert country conditions evidence. Learn more →
- Ahmadi (Qadiani)
- A member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, declared non-Muslim under Pakistan's Constitution and subject to restrictions under Ordinance XX 1984. Ahmadis face blasphemy accusations, social discrimination, and violence. Learn more →
- Blasphemy Laws (ss295-298 PPC)
- Sections 295 to 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code criminalising offences against religion, including defiling the Quran and insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Accusations are frequently misused and carry severe penalties including the death sentence. Learn more →
- CPIN (Country Policy Information Note)
- Home Office country guidance documents setting out the UK government's position on country conditions for asylum decision-making. Learn more →
- Country Guidance (MN and Others [2012])
- MN and Others (Ahmadis) Pakistan CG [2012] UKUT 00389, the leading Upper Tribunal country guidance case establishing that Ahmadis constitute a particular social group facing persecution in Pakistan. Learn more →
- Enforced Disappearances
- The arrest, detention, or abduction of persons by state agents or their proxies followed by refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty. Enforced disappearances target political activists, journalists, and PTI supporters in Pakistan. Learn more →
- FIR (First Information Report)
- The initial police report registering a criminal complaint in Pakistan. FIRs are frequently used to initiate blasphemy prosecutions and may be lodged with minimal evidence in personal or sectarian disputes. Learn more →
- HJ (Iran) [2010]
- Leading UK Supreme Court case establishing that asylum claims based on sexuality must be assessed without requiring the claimant to conceal their identity or live discreetly. Learn more →
- Honour Killing
- The murder of a family member, typically a woman, who is perceived to have brought dishonour on the family through behaviour such as refusing a forced marriage or seeking independence. Learn more →
- Honour-Based Violence
- Violence committed to protect or restore family honour, including honour killing, forced marriage, acid attacks, and isolation. Perpetrators are typically family members with limited state intervention. Learn more →
- Jirga
- A traditional tribal council that adjudicates disputes and may impose punishments including fines, isolation, or death sentences for honour-related offences, often bypassing formal courts. Learn more →
- Khawaja Sira
- A traditional South Asian term for transgender and third-gender communities. Khawaja sira face discrimination, violence, and police harassment in Pakistan despite partial legal recognition. Learn more →
- Legal Aid (Immigration)
- Public funding for immigration and asylum cases through the Legal Aid Agency, requiring prior authority for expert reports. Learn more →
- Non-State Actor Persecution
- Harm perpetrated by entities other than the state, such as family, tribal councils, religious mobs, or militant groups, where state protection is unavailable or ineffective. Learn more →
- Ordinance XX 1984 (Ahmadis)
- Pakistani law restricting Ahmadis from calling themselves Muslims, using Islamic terms, or practising Muslim worship in ways that could offend other Muslims. Violations carry imprisonment. Learn more →
- PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf)
- Political party led by Imran Khan. Since 2022, PTI supporters and activists have faced mass arrests, detention, and enforced disappearances. Learn more →
- Refugee Convention 1951
- The international treaty defining refugee status and the grounds on which persecution must be based for asylum eligibility.
- s377 Pakistan Penal Code
- Section 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code criminalising carnal intercourse against the order of nature. LGBTQ+ individuals face prosecution, police harassment, and violence from family and community actors. Learn more →
- Shia Muslim
- Members of the Shia branch of Islam in Pakistan, who face sectarian violence from militant Sunni groups including targeted attacks on mosques, processions, and communities. Learn more →
- State Protection
- The availability and effectiveness of protection provided by the state against persecution or serious harm, including police, courts, and government agencies. Learn more →
- TLP (Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan)
- Hardline Islamist political party mobilising blasphemy accusations and street violence, particularly against Ahmadis and those accused of religious offences. Learn more →
- UNHCR Guidelines
- Guidance published by the UN Refugee Agency on the interpretation and application of refugee law standards, including on religion-based persecution and women at risk.
- Upper Tribunal (IAC)
- The Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber, which hears appeals from the First-tier Tribunal and decides country guidance cases such as MN and Others [2012]. Learn more →
- Watta Satta
- An exchange marriage practice linking two families, where a woman seeking to leave an abusive marriage may trigger retaliation against her natal family, increasing honour-based violence risk. Learn more →
- Well-Founded Fear
- The standard for refugee status: a reasonable degree of likelihood that the claimant would face persecution if returned to their country of origin.
- Immigration Tribunal Practice Direction
- Rules governing procedure and evidence in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, including paragraph 10 on expert evidence duties and independence. Learn more →
- Internal Relocation Alternative
- The principle that a claimant may be required to relocate within their country of origin if it is safe and reasonable to do so, applying both the safety test and the unduly harsh test. Learn more →
- COI (Country of Origin Information)
- Factual information about conditions in a country of origin, used in asylum decision-making and expert reports. Home Office CPINs are a primary COI source for Pakistan cases. Learn more →