The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has opened applications for the 2026 cycle of its I.A. Rehman Research Grant, this year inviting research on how Pakistan's legal framework and its anti-terrorism provisions in particular has been used to curtail freedom of movement.

HRCP will award a single grant of PKR 800,000 (about PKR 570,000 after taxes) to an academic, journalist, or human rights defender or professional for original research on the subject. According to the commission, it is especially interested in work that examines measures such as reporting requirements, travel restrictions and other executive controls, and that assesses whether they are compatible with constitutional guarantees and international human rights standards.

The commission says it also wants proposals that trace the colonial roots of such laws and document how their use has apparently expanded beyond counterterrorism to target political workers, journalists, civil society activists and the families of victims of enforced disappearance — concerns that resonate strongly with the rights landscape in Balochistan.

The grant, instituted in 2020, honours the late I.A. Rehman (1930–2021), the veteran human rights defender, journalist and former HRCP secretary-general. It is open to Pakistani citizens and foreign nationals of Pakistani heritage; HRCP staff and previous recipients are not eligible. Shortlisted applications are assessed by an independent committee.

Applicants must submit a research statement of 400 to 500 words, along with an up-to-date CV and a covering letter, to submissions@hrcp-web.org with the subject line "I A Rehman research grant." The proposed scope must be achievable within a maximum of two months.

The deadline to apply is 9 August 2026. HRCP expects to announce the award around 20 August, with a draft paper of 5,000 to 7,000 words due by 9 October and the final paper by 30 October 2026. The commission has said it will not pay the final instalment if the final report misses that deadline, and that it will publish the completed research for circulation among policymakers, rights defenders, academics and the media.

Published in Balochistan Dispatch, July 27th, 2026