Militancy and Human Rights in the Wake of Pakistan’s Recent Election

March 7, 2014

Pakistan Post-2014: Militancy and Human Rights (February 28, 2014)

Any promise of progress on human rights and security in Pakistan after elections last year is gone. Militant, terrorist, and sectarian attacks continue while the Pakistani government flip-flops on talks with the Taliban and serious counterterrorism abuses persist. Meanwhile, there is real uncertainty for Afghanistan as U.S. forces withdraw and the Afghan presidential election unfolds.

Looking at a pivotal year for Pakistan and the region, Ali Dayan Hasan of Human Rights Watch and Daniel Markey of the Council on Foreign Relations recently debated the greatest threats to human rights and security, talks with the Taliban and other militant groups, and what kind of impact the United States, the international community, and civil society can have on security and human rights.

Listen to audio of the event above.

Topics

National Security and Counterterrorism, Rule of Law

Protecting Civil Society

Persecution at Home and Abroad: Pakistani Human Rights Defenders on the Run

Fazl and Nazish, rights defenders from Pakistan, faced exile for their efforts to encourage public health campaigns and women's education. They were assisted by the Shelter City Initiative, which provides support to rights defenders in danger.

February 10, 2025

A Crisis Averted

Fighting the Pandemic in Pakistan’s Prisons

A person wearing protective gear points a thermometer at a man

Thanks to the heroic efforts of civil society groups, prisoners in Pakistan did not suffer a mass outbreak of COVID-19. What the near miss underlined, however, is the country’s urgent need for criminal justice reform.

September 9, 2020 | Parveen Azam Khan

Voices

A Roll of the Dice for an Accessible Pakistan

It’s not easy to be a person with disabilities in Pakistan, but one woman is hoping to raise the public’s awareness—in a way that’s actually fun.

March 25, 2018 | Jessica Holzer

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