Freedom of speech and expression

The discovery of three transgender persons dead on a roadside in Karachi on the night of September 21 has sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s already vulnerable transgender community, igniting fear, anger, and renewed demands for protection and justice.

The government claims that the bill includes amendments that address journalists’ concerns, and asserts it will not obstruct media freedom. The President said the law’s aim is not to curb free reporting.

On Monday, the latest round of protests, driven by Gen Z youth demanding an end to corruption and authoritarian rule, spiralled into tragedy. Security forces opened fire on demonstrators, resulting in at least 19 deaths.

A proper national study was required to assess whether the Maldives should pursue a self-regulatory or co-regulatory model.

Religious minority prisoners in Pakistan are subjected to systemic discrimination, harsh treatment and denial of basic rights compared to their Muslim counterparts.

The council also criticized the government for excluding minorities from all reform commissions, which were set up to recommend measures aimed at combating discrimination and promoting social justice.

The global human rights watchdog said that Afghanistan now faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, exacerbated by donor governments’ aid cuts and the return of 1.9 million refugees expelled from Iran and Pakistan. 

Terming forced religious conversion and forced marriage of Christian and Hindu minor girls to older Muslim men as the most concerning issue, the report notes that there are few legal options available to the victims.