Voicepk.net is Pakistan ‘s first digital media platform dedicated to investigating, reporting & broadcasting human rights and legal issues happening in the country. With a network of over 20 correspondents from across Pakistan, Voicepk reports from the remotest areas (from the tribal belt in KP to the far flung areas of Balochistan). There are many themes - from extra judicial killings, violence against women and children, issues of minorities and marginalized communities, enforced disappearances and the subjugation of free speech. Together with its parent organization, the Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell (AGHS), Voicepk.net has reached out to victims of violence to provide them with free legal aid and has highlighted their stories, advocating with policy makers for change and demanding protection on their behalf. Voicepk.net is a dynamic platform available on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube. It began as the official social media platform for the Asma Jahangir Conference, disseminating content generated from the sessions and has evolved into the only rights platform where people and policy makers can speak about their fundamental rights without being censored, especially as the space for free media is incessantly shrinking. As mainstream media is forced to block out voices of civil society, Voicepk.net highlights them and advocates for the emancipation of women and fundamental rights for all. Voicepk.net is run by a group of young investigative journalists and has an imminent board of lawyers activists and experienced journalists.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
ASMA JAHANGIR LEGAL AID CELL (AGHS)
AGHS Legal Aid Cell was co-founded by Asma Jahangir in 1980 to provide free legal representation for vulnerable women, children, bonded labourers, people in prison and religious minorities. It is now the leading law firm in constitutional and family law related legal work. The fundamental principles of AGHS policy are essentially concerned with strengthening respect for human rights through providing free legal representation and by building a stronger constituency of activists, mainly women to challenge non-discrimination, violence and threats against the vulnerable. AGHS highlights violations of human rights and provides free legal representation to end impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations. AGHS is celebrated for its quality service in legal aid. The firm was the first to raise the issue of women and girls being killed for honour. AGHS has taken up impressive cases to defend those accused of blasphemy, constitutional petitions to challenge military courts, cases for the protection of those who are tortured or kept under arbitrary detention as well represented the families of those who disappeared. It has won a number of landmark cases in promotion and protection of human rights. AGHS has a wide impact despite limited financial and human resource at its disposal because the organisation is committed to raise the level of awareness on human rights issues and has succeeded in doing so in many respects. Some of AGHS’s Board members and staff have been physically attacked, held hostage, threatened and vilified for promoting women and minority rights. AGHS has been at the forefront of the women’s movement and played a decisive role through street protests against General Zia ul Haq’s anti women and minorities legislation, the Hudood Ordinances and Law of Evidence. AGHS is an active supporter of the Women’s Action Forum since 1983, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) was set up at the AGHS office. South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) was also proposed and initially setup by AGHS, who hosted its Secretariat for six years. AGHS networks with jail and court administrators to sensitize the police, judiciary and prison officers to human rights.
