Accountability Lab
Pakistan Annual Report
2025

1. Vision, Mission, Values
2. Impact & Program highlights
3. Media coverage
4. Staff/Board updates
5. Our Supporters
6. Budget highlights

Integrity Icon Pakistan: Celebrating Integrity in Public Service, This year, six Integrity Icon winners were recognized, reflecting the breadth of climate action emerging across the public sector.
These include:

Reform Through Institutional Partnership

Through the Integrity Innovation Lab, Accountability Lab Pakistan deepened institutional reform by embedding innovation directly within Pakistan’s core government training ecosystems. Rather than operating as an external advisory initiative, the Lab worked in close collaboration with the Secretariat Training Institute (STI), the Balochistan Civil Services Academy (BCSA), and the National Police Academy (NPA) to integrate reform-oriented thinking into the professional development of public officials.

The engagement moved beyond standalone workshops to support lasting institutional alignment. Design thinking methodologies, responsible Artificial Intelligence applications, and citizen-centered governance frameworks were incorporated into existing government training curricula, ensuring that innovation was not treated as an add-on, but as a core administrative competency. This approach strengthened the ability of civil servants to translate policy intent into responsive, evidence-based implementation.

Across these institutions, public officials participated in structured workshops, policy dialogues, and applied learning sessions that encouraged cross-departmental collaboration and problem-solving rooted in real governance challenges. The Lab’s engagement strengthened coordination across departments, built trust between reform actors and state institutions, and reinforced a culture of adaptive governance within training systems.

By embedding reform principles within STI, BCSA, and NPA, the Integrity Innovation Lab contributed to long-term systemic change by institutionalizing innovation, strengthening government ownership, and helping build a cadre of civil servants equipped to advance accountability, efficiency, and citizen-centered public service delivery.

Conferences Convenings

Building Digital Democracy Across South Asia

The DDI South Asia Launch Event formally introduced the Digital Democracy Initiative to the region and marked an important step toward strengthening civic engagement across South Asia. The event positioned digital innovation as a practical and scalable tool for advancing transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.

Bringing together policymakers, youth leaders, technologists, and civil society actors, the convening created a dynamic platform for cross-sector dialogue, knowledge exchange, and partnership-building. It enabled meaningful engagement between stakeholders working at the intersection of governance and technology, fostering collaboration around shared democratic priorities.

A key milestone of the event was the announcement of the DDI South Asia Sub-Grants Program, designed to support youth-led and community-based digital initiatives across the region. This directly translated the program’s commitment to supporting emerging leaders and strengthening grassroots digital innovation into practical action.

Overall, the launch created momentum for a more inclusive, participatory, and resilient digital democratic ecosystem in South Asia, turning shared vision into clear pathways for action, learning, and regional collaboration.

Youth Voices, Public Leadership

Under the Integrity Innovation Lab, Accountability Lab Pakistan convened two high-level youth-focused public dialogues at Rawalpindi Women University and PMAS Arid Agriculture University. These dialogues were designed as structured platforms to strengthen meaningful youth engagement in democratic governance and public policy processes.

Moving beyond symbolic participation, the initiative positioned young people as critical stakeholders in shaping accountable, transparent, and citizen-centered governance. By bringing university students into direct engagement with policymakers, civil servants, and practitioners from governance, service delivery, inclusion, and disaster management sectors, the Lab helped bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world institutional practice.

The dialogues responded to a persistent structural challenge: while many young people show strong interest in public affairs, their participation is often constrained by limited exposure to institutional processes, restricted access to decision-makers, and insufficient clarity on formal pathways for engagement.

Through candid, practice-oriented discussions, students gained insight into how governance systems operate in reality, shaped by procedures, accountability frameworks, bureaucratic constraints, and political economy dynamics. Rather than treating governance as abstract rhetoric, the sessions emphasized systems thinking, institutional literacy, and informed participation.

Participants critically explored inclusive governance, accountability mechanisms, and decision-making pathways, strengthening their understanding of both opportunities and constraints within democratic systems.

Collectively, these dialogues built policy awareness, encouraged evidence-based civic engagement, and contributed to developing a generation of ethically grounded leaders equipped to engage constructively with state institutions.

Through sustained institutional collaboration and action-oriented dialogue, the Integrity Innovation Lab advanced a culture of integrity, participatory governance, and long-term civic responsibility that extends well beyond the dialogue space.

Countering Extremism Through Dialogue

Under the Farq Parhta Hai initiative on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), Accountability Lab Pakistan, with support from the European Union and in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), convened five high-impact panel discussions across leading universities in Pakistan.

Held at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, International Islamic University Islamabad, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Khairpur, Rawalpindi Women University, and The University of Haripur, these discussions brought together policymakers, security practitioners, academics, and civil society leaders to examine the evolving dynamics of violent extremism, polarization, and social fragmentation.

The panels created structured spaces for informed public dialogue on the drivers of extremism, the role of state institutions in prevention, and the importance of inclusive governance and community resilience in countering divisive narratives.

Discussions emphasized evidence-based approaches, stronger inter-institutional coordination, and the need for citizen engagement in strengthening national peace frameworks. By facilitating cross-sector dialogue within university spaces, the initiative helped move CVE conversations beyond security-focused narratives and positioned prevention, social cohesion, and democratic participation as central pillars of sustainable peace.

Collectively, the five panel discussions strengthened public understanding of extremism-related challenges and reinforced the importance of collaborative, whole-of-society responses.

Democracy as Everyday Practice

Held in observance of International Democracy Day at Quaid-i-Azam University, this high-level panel discussion served as the intellectual anchor of the event, transforming the commemoration into a substantive platform for democratic reflection and reform. Rather than limiting the day to symbolic celebration, the seminar created a structured space for critical engagement on the state of democracy in South Asia.

Bringing together election experts, governance practitioners, civic leaders, and academics, the discussion enabled more than 100 participants to examine systemic barriers to democratic participation, including tokenistic youth inclusion, the exclusion of women, rural–urban disparities, shrinking civic space, and institutional accountability gaps.

The dialogue reframed democracy as an everyday institutional practice rooted in transparency, inclusion, and the rule of law, rather than a process confined to elections.

Importantly, the seminar challenged prevailing narratives that portray youth as disengaged, identifying structural exclusion within political and governance systems as a central constraint. The interactive exchange strengthened participants’ policy literacy, deepened their understanding of pathways for institutional reform, and reinforced their role as active stakeholders in democratic renewal.

Overall, the International Democracy Day seminar elevated the quality of democratic discourse within the academic space, fostered intergenerational dialogue, and positioned the event as a catalyst for sustained engagement rather than a one-day observance.

Skills Capacity Building

Strengthening Civil Society for Digital Resilience

Under the South Asia Democracy Solidarity Block (SADSB), Accountability Lab Pakistan convened an intensive virtual capacity-building series for civil society organizations from India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Bangladesh to strengthen digital resilience and advocacy preparedness in increasingly high-risk online environments.

The engagement included a three-day virtual training on Digital Safety, Readiness, and Operational Resilience, followed by focused sessions on Safe Advocacy, Strategic Communications, Response Planning, and Monitoring and Evaluation for digital advocacy initiatives. Together, these sessions provided a practical framework for navigating shrinking civic space and digital threats across the region.

Participants critically examined the intersection of digital democracy and organizational risk landscapes, identifying structural vulnerabilities, particularly those affecting women-led and grassroots organizations. The training emphasized practical safeguards, risk assessment methodologies, secure communication protocols, ethical storytelling standards, crisis preparedness mechanisms, and evidence-driven advocacy tracking.

As a result, participating organizations strengthened their readiness to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to digital risks while maintaining strategic clarity and public credibility. The program also deepened cross-border solidarity, reinforced safe and rights-based digital engagement practices, and equipped civil society actors with the operational tools needed to sustain effective advocacy in complex and contested digital environments.

Collectively, the initiative advanced a more secure, coordinated, and resilient civic ecosystem across South Asia, enabling organizations to protect both their mission and their impact in the digital sphere.

Students Building Safer Communities

As part of the Farq Parhta Hai initiative on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), Accountability Lab Pakistan implemented structured, impact-oriented training workshops across five universities: Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, International Islamic University Islamabad, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Khairpur, Rawalpindi Women University, and The University of Haripur.

The trainings were designed to move beyond awareness and build the practical competencies needed to address violent extremism at the community level. Through carefully structured sessions, participants explored the social drivers of extremism, patterns of polarization, and the ways divisive narratives spread both offline and in digital spaces.

The curriculum emphasized critical thinking, dialogue facilitation, counter-narrative development, and community-based engagement strategies within the broader CVE framework. Around 200 students participated in these structured interventions, creating a significant youth footprint across diverse geographic regions.

The workshops strengthened participants’ understanding of extremism as a governance, social cohesion, and institutional challenge rather than solely a security issue.

Importantly, the trainings also cultivated leadership, ownership, and confidence among young people to act as responsible civic actors within their communities. By combining contextual learning with practical tools, the initiative contributed to building long-term resilience against extremist messaging and reinforced constructive, democratic engagement as a viable alternative to polarization.

Evidence That Drives Reform: Research, policy briefs, and ideas shaping public discourse.

Country Analysis Report CAR

The Country Analysis Reports (CARs) produced by Accountability Lab Pakistan are periodic analytical publications that examine Pakistan’s social, political, economic, and governance landscape. These reports assess key development indicators and policy impacts across sectors such as security, governance, the rule of law, human rights (including the rights of minorities, women, and children), and broader socio-economic conditions. They contextualize current events and trends to inform readers about emerging challenges and opportunities facing the country.

The primary objectives of CARs are to:

• Provide a comprehensive snapshot of Pakistan’s evolving political, economic, and social environment;
• Analyze the impact of government and institutional actions on development outcomes;
• Highlight policy gaps, challenges, and progress across multiple sectors; and
• Promote citizen awareness and evidence-based understanding of national issues to support informed decision-making by policymakers, researchers, civil society actors, and the general public.

These reports serve as valuable reference resources for stakeholders engaged in governance reform, accountability advocacy, and development analysis within and outside Pakistan.

Policy Briefs

Policy briefs remain a cornerstone of Accountability Lab Pakistan’s knowledge architecture. Developed as structured and evidence-driven contributions to public discourse, these briefs aim to inform policy reform around issues of national importance and public welfare. They are disseminated through ALP’s digital platforms and subscriber networks and shared directly with public institutions, policymakers and academic partners to strengthen evidence-based dialogue and advance systemic reform.

In 2025, the policy brief series provided a comprehensive examination of Pakistan’s governance, democratic and institutional landscape at a time of accelerated technological, economic and social transition. Several briefs focused on strengthening democratic institutions and governance systems, including analyses of systemic governance failures, reform of Senate elections, constitutional literacy, consumer protection frameworks and the implications of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Complementing this work, a set of briefs explored rule of law and rights-based governance through assessments of institutional compliance with human rights standards, the dynamics of disinformation ecosystems and the evolving role of digital media in community policing. Collectively, these analyses underscored persistent accountability gaps, limited institutional adaptability and the pressing need to enhance civic awareness to rebuild public trust in state institutions.

Economic resilience and public sector modernization emerged as a second major thematic pillar. The series included in-depth analysis of Pakistan’s debt crisis, critical reflections on the Economic Survey 2024–25 and forward-looking recommendations on the responsible integration of artificial intelligence within the public sector to improve transparency and administrative efficiency. Environmental governance was also prioritized, with briefs addressing climate justice financing gaps and longstanding water governance challenges.

Taken together, the 2025 policy briefs present an integrated assessment of Pakistan’s policy ecosystem. They reinforce a central finding that sustainable reform cannot occur in silos and that meaningful progress requires coordinated action across governance, economic management, technological transformation and climate resilience.

Below is the complete list of policy briefs published during the year along with their respective links.

• Consumer Protection in Pakistan
• Water Governance Challenges in Pakistan
• Climate Justice on Hold: The Missing Millions in Pakistan’s Climate Fight
• Pakistan’s Debt Crisis: Understanding the Challenges, Consequences, and Pathways to Reform
• Digital Media Policy for Inclusive, Evidence-Based, and Robust Community Policing in Pakistan
• Between Hope and Turmoil: An Analysis of Economic Survey of Pakistan 2024-25
• The Case for Constitutional Literacy in Strengthening Democratic Participation in Pakistan
• Disinformation in Pakistan
• The Need to Reform Senate Elections in Pakistan
• The Compliance Curve
• Systemic Governance Failures and Policy Paradoxes
• Advocating AI in Pakistan’s Public Sector

Blogs

Accountability Lab Pakistan published a total of 21 blogs addressing critical themes across democracy, governance, climate change, women’s health and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These blogs functioned as accessible yet evidence-driven knowledge outputs designed to inform public debate and expand civic awareness on emerging policy challenges.

The democracy-focused pieces examined electoral integrity, digital freedom, civic participation, institutional accountability and evolving democratic norms in Pakistan and the wider region. Blogs on governance analyzed public sector performance, transparency mechanisms, citizen oversight tools, and reform pathways aimed at strengthening state responsiveness and institutional trust. Climate-focused articles addressed environmental governance gaps, climate justice financing and the socio-economic impacts of climate change, highlighting the urgency of integrating sustainability into national policy frameworks. Contributions on women’s health unpacked systemic inequities in healthcare access, reproductive rights, and gender-responsive policy design.

Importantly, several blogs explored the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in governance and public life examining both its transformative potential and associated risks. These analyses discussed responsible AI adoption in the public sector, ethical considerations, transparency safeguards, and the implications of emerging technologies for democratic accountability and citizen rights. Collectively, the 21 blogs strengthened evidence-based discourse, translated complex policy issues into accessible analysis and reinforced Accountability Lab Pakistan’s role as a thought leader advancing accountability, inclusion, technological responsibility, and informed civic engagement.

Below is the complete list of blogs published during the year along with their respective links.

• Insights into Wildfire Management: Pakistan’s Challenges and Strategies
• A Crisis of Conscience
• Beyond the Ballot: Reclaiming Democracy through Participation
• Farq Parhta Hai: Youth Making a Difference
• She did everything right!
• Floods, Heatwaves, and Hope: Reimagining Agriculture in a Warming Pakistan
• From Policy to People: Rethinking Governance with Design Thinking
• From Reports to Reality: Why Pakistan Ranks Last in Global Gender Gap Index
• Transparency Through Open Data: Key to Reforming Governance in Pakistan
• Planting for Survival: Pakistan’s Path Out of the Heat
• The FY 2025–26 Budget and Its Impact on Pakistan’s IT & ITeS Sector
• Data-Driven Cities: Lessons from World for Pakistan
• Selling Misinformation
• The Backyard Solution to Food Insecurity
• Groundwater Recharge: Reviving the Hidden Lifeline
• Sports as a Tool for Preventing Violent Extremism in Pakistan
• Women Leading Change: Strengthening Community Resilience in Haripur
• Constitution for All: Rethinking Gender Inclusive Governance in Pakistan
• Rethinking Reforms Process in Balochistan: Innovation and Leadership at BCSA
• Covid-19: The way forward for resilience in the Pakistani CSOs
• From Green to Grey: Reimagining Governance

Project 1: Farq Parhta Hai: Equipping Students to Lead Inclusion, Resilience, and Change.

How Did We Make an Impact and What Did We Learn?

Impact was created by placing young people at the center of the project. Students were not treated as passive participants but as leaders and change makers. The project followed a gradual process, moving from awareness to skills building and finally to action through youth-led initiatives that were designed and implemented by the students themselves.

We learned that when young people are trusted with responsibility and supported through mentorship, they respond with creativity, ownership, and commitment. The combination of physical spaces on campus and digital platforms helped sustain engagement and allowed youth voices to reach beyond universities. We also learned the importance of adapting language and formats to local contexts, particularly when working on sensitive themes related to peace and extremism.

How Did We Make an Impact and What Did We Learn?

Impact was created by placing young people at the center of the project. Students were not treated as passive participants but as leaders and change makers. The project followed a gradual process, moving from awareness to skills building and finally to action through youth-led initiatives that were designed and implemented by the students themselves.

We learned that when young people are trusted with responsibility and supported through mentorship, they respond with creativity, ownership, and commitment. The combination of physical spaces on campus and digital platforms helped sustain engagement and allowed youth voices to reach beyond universities. We also learned the importance of adapting language and formats to local contexts, particularly when working on sensitive themes related to peace and extremism.

Project 2: Integrity Innovation Lab

Program’s Summary

Effective governance depends on leaders who combine accountability, innovation and a deep commitment to serving citizens. The Integrity Innovation Lab, launched in partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), continues to redefine governance within Pakistan’s civil service by fostering ethical leadership, transparency, and citizen-first approaches. The Lab equips civil servants with adaptive, context-sensitive skills to challenge entrenched bureaucratic norms and co-create solutions with the communities they serve. Anchored in Design Thinking and Human-Centered Governance, the initiative promotes stakeholder engagement, systems thinking, and iterative problem-solving to address contemporary governance challenges.

Objectives:

• Strengthen civil servants’ capacity in ethical leadership, problem-solving, and systems thinking.
• Foster innovation and citizen-centric approaches within public institutions.
• Promote gender-inclusive participation and equitable engagement in governance reforms.
• Translate training insights into actionable knowledge products to support institutional learning.
• Explore emerging governance challenges, including the integration of AI in public service.

Outcomes:

The Integrity Innovation Lab delivered a year of sustained, multi-level engagement aimed at strengthening governance capacity and institutional learning across Pakistan’s public sector.

• A series of seven structured workshops enabled 225 public officials to strengthen competencies in ethical leadership, human-centered governance, and applied problem-solving, with participation drawn from diverse institutional contexts.
• The program produced a substantive portfolio of knowledge outputs, including analytical blogs, policy briefs, practitioner journals, handbooks and research articles, ensuring that learning outcomes were captured, documented and disseminated beyond training environments.
• Practitioner-led research was formalized through the publication of two journals, providing civil servants with an institutionalized platform to articulate policy insights derived from field experience and administrative practice.
• Public-facing engagement was expanded through dialogues that connected governance reform themes with youth audiences, facilitating informed discussion and civic awareness around public policy and accountability.
• Cross-sector expertise was systematically integrated into program delivery, enhancing technical depth, policy relevance and methodological rigor.
• Early-career exposure to governance reform was supported through structured internships, contributing to the development of future policy and reform professionals.

Impact:

• Stronger Civil Service Leadership: Officers demonstrated greater accountability, collaborative decision-making, and proactive problem-solving.
• Institutional Integration: STI, BCSA, and NPA aligned their training programs with the proposed curriculum, integrating design thinking methodologies and AI in governance components.
• Knowledge Dissemination: Publications and reflective products strengthened institutional memory and contributed to broader governance discourse.

Project 4: Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) South Asia

Program’s Summary:

The Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) South Asia strengthens inclusive democratic participation by enabling citizens, particularly youth, women, and marginalized communities, to engage meaningfully in digital civic spaces. Implemented across South Asia, the program focuses on expanding digital access, building civic and digital capacities, and supporting grassroots actors to use technology safely and constructively to express civic voice, document local issues, and engage institutions.

Through sub-grants, capacity strengthening, peer learning, and regional collaboration, DDI South Asia supports locally rooted, context-sensitive approaches to digital democracy. The initiative prioritizes innovative, accessible and scalable solutions and emphasizes constructive citizen-state engagement, ensuring that digital tools enhance participation, accountability, and trust while remaining responsive to civic space realities in the region.

Objectives:

• To strengthen digital civic participation by enabling citizens, particularly youth and marginalized communities, to safely access, use, and shape digital spaces for democratic engagement.
• To build the capacity of grassroots civil society actors to design and implement context-responsive initiatives that amplify civic voice and collective action.
• To foster constructive citizen–state engagement by supporting feedback loops, dialogue platforms, and evidence-based communication between communities and public institutions.
• To contribute to a resilient digital democracy ecosystem in South Asia through learning, collaboration, and the promotion of inclusive, innovative, and scalable civic innovations.

How Did We Make an Impact and What Did We Learn?

As the project entered its second quarter, the program focused on laying strong analytical and ecosystem foundations for inclusive digital civic participation. This phase was critical in deepening contextual understanding and ensuring that subsequent interventions are evidence-based, locally grounded, and strategically targeted.

The initiative undertook a comprehensive mapping of key digital democracy stakeholders across participating countries, identifying grassroots actors, enablers, networks, and institutional counterparts operating at the intersection of digital access, civic engagement, and governance. In parallel, digital divides assessment studies examined disparities in access, literacy, affordability, and digital safety particularly among youth, women, and marginalized communities. These insights strengthened our understanding of institutional readiness, risk exposure, and systemic barriers to participation.

The insights also directly informed program design, outreach strategies and structure of the financial and non-financial support mechanisms, helping the program refine its approach to reflect country variation in digital readiness, regulatory and civic space environments.

Open calls for the subgrant applications, orientation sessions, and engagement webinars further revealed strong regional demand for support, while simultaneously exposing capacity gaps in digital security, compliance systems, strategic communication, and coalition-building. This diagnostic clarity is shaping a more targeted grantee selection process and tailored capacity-building pathways.

A key learning from this phase is that digital democracy programming cannot be technology-driven alone; it must be anchored in local digital realities. Access, skills, safety risks, regulatory pressures, and social norms vary widely across the region. As a result, the program is prioritising safety-first, context-responsive interventions that combine digital skills strengthening with constructive, dialogue-oriented citizen-state engagement. These early insights have positioned the program to transition into deeper implementation with context-relevant, equity, and long-term sustainability in subsequent quarters.

Key Learnings:

• Digital access and readiness vary significantly across communities. Stakeholder mapping and digital divide assessments confirmed that effective digital democracy work must be grounded in local realities of access, literacy, language, and safety, rather than assuming uniform digital capability.
• Less complex, context-responsive solutions are often the most effective. Tools such as mobile messaging, basic digital storytelling, and facilitated online platforms proved more feasible and inclusive than complex civic-tech platforms in constrained environments.
• Capacity strengthening is as critical as funding. Many grassroots organizations require hands-on support to translate civic ambitions into realistic, digitally enabled interventions, underscoring the value of application clinics, iterative feedback, and peer learning.
• Constructive citizen-state engagement builds legitimacy and reduces risk. Early program experience showed that dialogue-based, evidence-informed approaches are more sustainable and appropriate than confrontational advocacy in sensitive civic spaces.
• Safety and safeguarding must be embedded from the outset. Digital participation carries risks, integrating digital safety, consent, and safeguarding considerations early strengthens trust and participation.

What Makes the Work Sustainable?

The DDI South Asia is designed for sustainability by prioritizing local ownership, institutional strengthening, and low-cost scalable approaches. By working through grassroots civil society organizations and community-based actors, the initiative embeds digital competencies, governance systems, and safety practices within institutions rather than concentrating knowledge at the project level. The program emphasizes practical, accessible digital tools, peer learning networks, and reusable resources, such as toolkits, digital safety guides, learning modules, and civic documentation, that can be adapted and reused by civil society organizations over time. Stakeholder mapping and digital divide assessments further ensure that interventions are grounded in long-term local realities, including affordability gaps, literacy constraints, and digital risk environments rather than short-term technological solutions.

To institutionalize knowledge beyond the project cycle, DDI South Asia has established a dedicated knowledge and learning platform (www.ddisouthasia.org), which archives research, tools, learning materials, and regional insights generated under the initiative. This platform functions as an open-access regional repository, enabling grantees, partners, and future collaborators to continue accessing, adapting, and building upon the program’s knowledge assets well beyond the project period. Sustainability is further reinforced through constructive engagement with local stakeholders, fostering dialogue channels and collaborative pathways that can continue independently of project funding. Finally, the initiative’s strong emphasis on documentation, reflection, and peer learning ensures that lessons generated in one country inform broader regional practice, contributing to a durable and interconnected digital democracy ecosystem across South Asia.

In Terms of Outcomes, What Are We Most Proud Of?

In the early stages of the DDI South Asia, we are most proud of establishing a strong, evidence-informed foundation for inclusive digital civic engagement across the region. Through stakeholder mapping and digital divide assessments, the program has generated critical insights that are already shaping more responsive, context-aware interventions.

We are also proud of the diversity and quality of grassroots engagement the initiative has catalyzed. The program has attracted and supported civil society actors working with youth, women, indigenous peoples, and marginalized communities, many of whom are operating in digitally and politically constrained environments. Early capacity-strengthening efforts have enabled these actors to refine their approaches toward safe, feasible, and dialogue-oriented digital participation. Finally, the program has set clear standards for responsible digital democracy practice, emphasizing inclusion, safety, and constructive citizen-state engagement, which are now guiding implementation as DDI South Asia moves into deeper delivery phases.

Climate Stories That Matter

With the support of the Open Society Foundation and in collaboration with the Green Media Initiative, Accountability Lab Pakistan is leading a strategic intervention to close the disconnect between lived climate realities and national policy discourse. Grounded in the understanding that climate change is not only an environmental emergency but also a governance and accountability challenge with deeply unequal consequences, the initiative centers voices from climate-vulnerable districts that are often excluded from formal decision-making spaces.

The project advances climate journalism by strengthening the technical and analytical capacities of district-level women reporters in digital storytelling and evidence-based reporting. It enables them to translate localized climate impacts into compelling narratives that resonate with both affected communities and policymakers. Through structured capacity-building workshops, field reporting assignments, multi-stakeholder dialogues and fellowship opportunities, the initiative equips journalists with the skills, networks and visibility required to influence public discourse and elevate citizen-centered climate reporting.

By facilitating direct engagement with communities confronting intensifying risks such as water scarcity and recurrent flooding, the program promotes grounded and accountable storytelling that connects policy debates to lived experience. Complementing this work, Accountability Lab Pakistan produced three climate-focused podcast episodes featuring government officials, climate activists and educationists, broadening dialogue on institutional responsibility and climate resilience.

A flagship component of the initiative is the Frames of Change campaign, which supports women climate journalists in producing short documentary films that spotlight underreported and localized climate challenges. Through targeted micro-reporting grants and structured editorial mentorship, the campaign provides the financial support and professional guidance necessary to document the effects of climate change on land, livelihoods, health and governance systems.

Collectively, these efforts strengthen inclusive governance and advance transparent and evidence-driven climate policy conversations. By ensuring that grassroots experiences shape institutional responses, the initiative contributes to more equitable and durable climate resilience strategies in Pakistan.

Impact stories

“Before joining Farq Parhta Hai, I believed peace meant staying quiet and avoiding conflict. Like many young women, I thought silence was a form of strength and safety, without realising the emotional weight it carried. My journey began at the International Islamic University Islamabad through the orientation session and panel discussions organized by the Accountability Lab. From the start, the space felt different. We were encouraged to reflect on our own experiences and connect peace with daily life. For the first time, I felt my voice mattered, not just as a student, but as a young person who lived experiences worth sharing.

The two-day training workshop reshaped my understanding of peace. I learned that peace not only exists at a social level, but begins within us. It is reflected in how we understand our emotions, respond to pressure, and treat others. This learning inspired me to design my own youth-led initiative, Peace Within, Peace Beyond, focused on emotional resilience and inner peace. Leading this project gave me practical experience in planning, coordination, stakeholder engagement, and reporting. More importantly, it allowed me to apply what I learnt in classrooms to real life. Facilitating sessions where students openly discussed stress, emotional struggles, and healthy ways to respond to conflict was both empowering and transformative.

This confidence also encouraged me to participate in the virtual media competition, where I wrote a human story titled The Price of Peace: When Silence Screams Louder Than Words.

Through this story, I challenged the idea that peace requires enduring discomfort in silence. When the story was recognised and shared, I saw how personal experiences can open space for wider dialogue. Today, as an alumna of Farq Parhta Hai, I continue to encourage my peers to speak honestly, practice empathy, and view peace as a daily responsibility. This journey helped me reclaim my voice and understand that real peace is built through awareness, courage, and compassion.”
– Loveeza Fartashia, (Beneficiary – Farq Parhta Hai)

“I came into this workshop with a basic understanding of artificial intelligence. Over the course of the training workshop on Governance and AI, my perspective has changed significantly. I was introduced to practical AI tools such as Live Facial Recognition (LFR) and Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR), which I had not encountered before in a governance or law enforcement context. These technologies have not yet been introduced in Gilgit-Baltistan and learning about them was particularly valuable for me.

What stood out most was understanding how these tools can be applied responsibly within public institutions to support crime detection and prevention, rather than just viewing AI as a technical or theoretical concept. The sessions helped me see how AI can strengthen decision-making and operational efficiency while still aligning with principles of accountability and public trust. Before attending this training, my knowledge of AI was quite limited. This workshop helped me understand how artificial intelligence can be used in a practical, effective, and ethical way within governance systems. I am confident that when I return to my department, the insights and tools I have learned here will be useful in improving our work and exploring new approaches to public service delivery.”
– Capt. Sardar Muhammad Sheheryar Khan, (Beneficiary – Governance and AI, National Police Academy)

“I attended the seminar on democracy with a general understanding of the challenges surrounding democratic systems. Over the course of the session, my perspective changed significantly. The seminar moved beyond simply highlighting the problems and instead focused on practical and constructive solutions. What stood out most was the emphasis on individual responsibility in strengthening democratic values. In our generation, we often raise concerns and criticize democratic systems, but we rarely reflect on our own role in improving them. The seminar helped me understand that democracy cannot function effectively unless citizens actively participate and contribute positively.

The discussions provided practical insights into how democratic issues could be addressed at an individual and community level. Rather than viewing democracy as something distant or solely the responsibility of institutions, I came to see it as a shared responsibility that begins with personal accountability. Overall, the seminar was highly beneficial and thought provoking. It encouraged me to reflect on my own role in promoting democratic principles and inspired me to practice these values in my daily life. I believe such discussions are essential for creating a more balanced and responsible democratic culture.”
– Sumaiza Tariq, Student (Beneficiary – International Day of Democracy Seminar)

“I came to this public dialogue with the belief that universities were already providing sufficient practical exposure to students. However, during the discussion, I realized that there was a significant gap in structured platforms where students could receive hands-on training in specialized fields such as disaster management and other essential areas of public service. It became clear that there were limited institutional mechanisms through which students could be systematically trained by government departments or their respective universities. I also reflected on the fact that many students in our universities come from underdeveloped and remote regions of the country. Establishing dedicated training hubs or skill development centers could create a meaningful impact. If students were provided with regular training on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis, they would be able to develop practical competencies alongside their academic knowledge.

Such initiatives would not only strengthen students’ professional capacity but also create a multiplier effect. When these students return to their communities after completing their degrees, they can transfer their knowledge and skills to individuals who do not have access to higher education institutions or formal training opportunities. In this way, universities can play a transformative role in promoting community development and grassroots capacity building.”
– Afraz Hussain (Beneficiary – Youth Engagement Dialogue)