Interview: Irum Ahsan on citizen access to governance institutions, gender sensitization and human rights in Pakistan

Published on Thursday, 14 June 2018
Rule of Law image from Development Advocate Pakistan. In this issue, Irum Ahsan, Senior Counsel of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), shares her thoughts on citizen access to governance institutions and ADB's work in building the country's judicial capacity in the areas of gender sensitization and human rights

In today's world, one of the key differences between developed and developing countries is the existence of the rule of law - a primary requisite for socio-economic development and democracy. Owing to its history of interrupted democracy, nonrepresentative regimes, conflicting laws, conservative society, religious and sectarian turmoil, and above all, multiple layers of militancy, Pakistan has witnessed a limited growth in terms of the rule of law. As a result, not only did rule of law institutions weaken over time, in fact, citizens' dissatisfactions towards these institutions also escalated.

In this issue of Development Advocate Pakistan, Irum Ahsan, Senior Counsel of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), shares her thoughts on citizen access to governance institutions and ADB's work in building the country's judicial capacity in the areas of gender sensitization and human rights.