Human rights

The decision has drawn fire not only for protecting the accused, but also for potentially emboldening malicious actors.

Critics point to continued arbitrary detentions and institutionalised opacity, especially in Tamil-majority regions.

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

Dhaka has for decades pressed Islamabad for three key steps: a formal apology for the atrocities committed by the Pakistani military during the 1971 war, repayment of an estimated USD 4.5 billion owed to Bangladesh since independence, and the repatriation of thousands of Pakistanis stranded in the country.

Nepal’s brick industry – valued at several million dollars and employing approximately 300,000 workers – thrives during its limited work season.

In the quiet classrooms of Pakistani universities, thousands of Afghan students – many in the last stretch of their advanced degrees – are living with an unrelenting countdown. On 31 August 2025, Pakistan’s government has ordered that all Afghan nationals must leave the country or face arrest and deportation.

UN-mandated independent investigators have uncovered “systematic torture” in Myanmar’s military-run detention facilities.

Sri Lanka’s Government has a “historic opportunity” to end decades of impunity and deliver justice for victims of past violations, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has said, urging sweeping reforms to address crimes committed during and after the country’s civil war.