Pakistan is going through acute economic problems, exemplified in 2013 by growing electricity shortages and rising food and fuel prices, which has hit the country’s poor disproportionately. Health and education institutions and services are insufficient and the existing ones are working with extremely poor quality.

Despite a 2012 law authorizing for establishing of a national human rights commission, Pakistan failed to constitute the commission. At the same time, general public is not aware about their rights and rights of others written in the Constitution of Pakistan and international treaties to which Pakistan is party. Arbitrary detention, torture, deaths in custody, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial execution, honor killing, debt bondage and sexual abuse and rape of minor children are rampant. Pakistan has failed to protect particularly women, religious minorities, workers and children from violence, abuse, exploitation in the home, in the community, and while in legal custody.

CSSP has long been concerned about unending human rights violations in Pakistan. Human rights in Pakistan are merely theoretically and in the statute book, in practice, there are no observations of adherence of human rights values, standards and principles by society in general and by government departments in particular. Pakistan has always remained under the semi or full martial laws, therefore democratic and human rights values have not grown and flourished. CSSP’s foundation of human rights work is based on human rights defenders. CSSP mobilizes and organizes young people into groups, build their capacity, put them in contact with other networks and enable to them to coordinate with other likeminded groups.

Outcome/Strategic Objective

Strengthened citizens and social watch groups to promote and protect basic human rights and inter-faith harmony. Capacity building of citizens & human rights watch groups (HRWGs) to raise voice & advocate for vulnerable communities Increased social justice through communication & behavioral change in the society Organized advocacy, lobbing & campaigning for policy reforms & implementation of human rights protection laws

Strategic Interventions

Formation/strengthening of different civil society networks at district, province and national levels Youth Engagement in Human Rights Education/ Awareness Capacity building of human rights defenders Monitoring and response of human rights violations by human rights defenders and networks Advocate and campaign for protection and promotion of human rights