Rule of Law

As protests grow, human rights defenders are calling on Pakistan’s new administration to take immediate steps.

The mission emphasised that “standing with Afghan women” requires more than symbolic gestures: it requires resources, policy pressure, and the international will to ensure that women in Afghanistan can live with dignity and safety.

The proposed government measures, if implemented, could provide a critical lifeline – helping these young women transition with dignity into stable livelihoods and breaking the cycle of exploitation.

Human rights advocates warn against prematurely declaring victory: without transparency, there’s a risk that groups may operate below the threshold of legal recognition, or rebrand themselves in ways that evade enforcement. Others say that the success of anti-gang efforts must be measured not just in arrests, but in sustainable social reintegration of former gang members, especially youth.

Critics argue that the tribunal, revived by Hasina’s own government in 2009 to try wartime crimes, has now transformed into a tool against political adversaries.

The absence of female panel members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s ADR committees and the exclusion of non-Muslim members make clear that what may appear as decentralised and accessible justice may in practice perpetuate discrimination.

Adani Power has indicated it intends to seek international arbitration, citing payment delays and disputes over tariff components, setting the stage for a contentious standoff between the Indian corporate conglomerate and a key South Asian neighbour.

Provincial leaders in Nepal have accused the interim government of Prime Minister Sushila Karki of sidelining them with a “unilateral” budget freeze, crippling preparations for crucial March elections.