The AGHS Legal Aid Cell – the first one in the country set up by a group of young women lawyers in 1987 in Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city and the capital of the Punjab province, quickly acquired a leadership position with respect to constitutional and particularly family related law work. The fundamental principles of AGHS policy are essentially concerned with strengthening respect for human rights through building a stronger constituency of activists, mainly women to challenge non-discrimination, violence and threats against the vulnerable and to end impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations. AGHS uses reform in laws, policies, court interventions, research, building partnerships from the grass root level to decision makers, training to be an effective activist, intervention in media and providing access to justice to those who are vulnerable. The main target of AGHS remains women, children particularly those in prisons, bonded labour and religious minorities. However, AGHS has also taken up some impressive cases to defend those accused of blasphemy, constitutional petitions to challenge military courts, case 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 is a small but well-knit organisation that is reputed for its quality service in legal aid. It 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. It was the first organisation to raise the issue of women and girls being killed on the plea of honour. Some of AGHS’s Board members and staff have risked being physically attacked, threatened and vilified for their actions and open conviction on the promotion of women and minority rights. It has also been at the forefront of the women’s movement in the country and 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.