Rights, Resistance to Dominate Asma Jahangir Conference

News Desk 

Lahore: The Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell (AGHS) has announced that the 6th Asma Jahangir Conference (AJCONF) will be held on February 7 and 8, 2026, in Lahore, bringing together leading voices from Pakistan and abroad to deliberate on pressing human rights challenges.

Titled ‘Erosion of Fundamental Rights and Resistance Across Borders’, the two-day conference is being organised in collaboration with the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Pakistan Bar Council.

The conference aims to provide an uncensored and inclusive platform for constructive dialogue on critical human rights and democratic issues. The opening ceremony is expected to be attended by ministers, leaders of bar associations, international jurists, journalists and several United Nations Special Procedures Mandate Holders. 

Political leaders from across Pakistan and the wider South Asian region will also address the gathering.

Approximately 18 thematic sessions will be held during the conference, featuring more than 120 speakers from diverse professional backgrounds, including senior high court justices, legal experts, prominent international jurists, journalists, media professionals and human rights activists. 

Notably, over 150 practicing female lawyers from bar councils and associations across the country will participate in the conference.

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Against the backdrop of evolving political and democratic challenges in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan, the conference seeks to uphold the courage and principles championed by Asma Jahangir, whose legacy continues to inspire resistance against injustice. 

Key themes to be discussed include freedom of speech and expression, gender discrimination, rights of vulnerable communities, breaches of international law, climate change, and the right to a fair trial.

Founded by Asma Jahangir, AGHS, Pakistan’s first female law firm, has grown into a leading legal aid organisation providing pro bono assistance to marginalized groups, including women, children, prisoners, persecuted religious minorities, death row inmates and landless farmers.

Often described as the “people’s assembly”, the Asma Jahangir Conference has emerged as Pakistan’s largest human rights and legal forum.

This year’s edition is expected to identify challenges to democratic freedoms and propose pathways to safeguard fundamental rights across Pakistan and South Asia.

The organisers have invited wide participation and media coverage to help shape informed discourse on equality, justice and democratic values at the upcoming conference.