As the sun set over Karachi’s coastline, the initial atmosphere of fear evaporated, replaced by a collective roar of triumph. The 2026 Aurat March proved that bureaucratic red tape, restrictive NOCs, and pre-emptive arrests cannot suppress grassroots resistance.
Without decisive reforms, the report warns, the erosion of independent media will not only deepen informational marginalization but also weaken democratic accountability in a region already fraught with conflict and neglect.
Drawing on a year-long consultation process with civil society, journalists, human rights defenders, electoral officials, and social media companies, Khan identified three intersecting trends that are accelerating the crisis.
To ensure ethical standards and accountability in media reporting, the commission advocates for the creation of an independent regulatory body. This entity would oversee media practices, addressing issues such as misinformation and unethical journalism.
The joint report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN Human Rights Office documented 336 cases of human rights violations against media professionals between August 2021 and September 2024.
The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons.
Since the Taliban...
The junta have a cynical incentive to suppress reporting that exposes their daily assault on Myanmar’s people. According to the report on 28 January...
Communication technology connects people, allows sharing ideas and spreading awareness about human rights abuses. However, the web also spreads a virus of lies that...
The UN appeal comes at a moment when humanitarian funding is already stretched by multiple crises. While CERF has provided rapid support, broader donor commitments remain insufficient relative to the scale of projected need.
South Asia’s lead crisis is not inevitable. Experience elsewhere demonstrates that decisive regulation, industrial formalisation and community-level interventions can sharply reduce exposure.
The UN appeal comes at a moment when humanitarian funding is already stretched by multiple crises. While CERF has provided rapid support, broader donor commitments remain insufficient relative to the scale of projected need.