EVERY human being, regardless of identity or geography, possesses inherent rights to dignity, liberty and equality. These rights are neither gifts from governments nor privileges of the powerful; they are universal entitlements that no authority can legitimately take away. International Human Rights Day is more than an observance. It is a mirror held up before humanity, reminding us where we stand, where we have failed and where we have allowed injustice to harden into cruelty. A few issues expose these contradictions more painfully than the ongoing tragedies in Palestine and Indian-occupied Kashmir, two regions where human rights have been violated for decades and where silence from the international community has often deepened suffering. For Pakistan, the day is a moment of reflection — a reminder of its global obligations, domestic responsibilities and its moral duty to stand with oppressed everywhere.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) laid out core rights — the right to life, equality before the law, freedom of expression, personal liberty and socio-economic dignity. Observing this day keeps these principles alive amid political turbulence and shifting global priorities. The day forces governments and institutions worldwide to confront difficult questions they might prefer to bury. It compels introspection and highlights violations that otherwise remain unnoticed or unaddressed.........

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