Pakistan is no country for activists. They are admired, revered and lauded; despised, ridiculed and persecuted – they are never safe. And they never have a place at the high table. At the heart of activism, there is always a judgment. The first thing an activist needs thus is a moral compass – a keen sense of what is fair. Further, to an activist, fairness it is not a mere academic determination. Once they are convinced of unfairness of the goings on around them, they must act to set them right. They must seek attention, point out the wrong, and often prescribe a remedy. They cannot keep their concerns private. They cannot consent to being so polite and orderly that they may be ignored (or else what is the point of breaking the silence). If the only way to be noticed is to be loud, rude and a public nuisance, they still have to do it. Our activists need all this and a lot more because they face unprecedented challenges and threats. The state, its functionaries and even the public is mostly unsympathetic to their cause. They have to deal with threats posed by outlaws, extremists and angry governments as they try to highlight issues ranging from human rights violations to forced conversions. It is a well-known fact that the Zia and Musharraf regimes were the most daunting times that human rights activists faced in Pakistan. However, it is even more surprising to know that even democratic governments don’t like to be criticised. So, these activists have had to face difficult times throughout most of their lives. However, they have never given up on their objective of reforming the system to improve the lives of the people of this country. In such circumstances, all of us need to acknowledge their efforts and support them. This is not just for their sake, but for securing our own bright future. In this Special Report, The News on Sunday brings you first person accounts by some of the best known activists in Pakistan. There is no claim to being typical or representative, leave alone exhaustive.