Accountability

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

The report makes clear that safeguarding journalists is not simply a media-industry concern; it is a democratic imperative. Free, independent political coverage is essential for voters to make informed decisions, and safety is the minimum guarantee required to enable that.

In the long run, the minister said, the push for transparency is aimed at closing the revenue–development gap: ensuring that domestic resources mobilised from taxes contribute directly to societal growth and welfare, fulfilling the deeper principle underlying economic governance.

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 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.

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.