Youth

The accord, signed at Singha Durbar on Wednesday, comes three months after mass protests shook the country.

HRW has demanded that prosecutions must span ranks – from officers to mob leaders – alongside reforms to curb corruption and bolster digital rights.

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

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.

While the government emphasises protection and better age verification, the new regime raises complex trade-offs around privacy, data security, and individual rights.

Even as relief plans are underway, many warn that rebuilding will not just require bricks and mortar – but a renewed social contract that can lay the foundations for more inclusive and resilient growth.

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.

Most of the parties represented in the now-dissolved House of Representatives voiced their commitment to proceed with the polls, signalling a shared desire for political renewal.