Negotiating rights and faith: a study of rights-based approaches to humanitarian action in Pakistan

'Rights-based approaches' (RBAs) have become a well-established concept over the past two decades, informing the work of diverse actors involved in development and humanitarian aid. Faith-based organisations have increasingly embraced the RBA, although not without contestation. Drawing on new qualitative data from Pakistan, this paper examines how 'global' RBA norms are operationalised in 'local' contexts characterised by great normative diversity and identifies three dominant normative frameworks used by non-governmental organisations in the translation of RBAs: humanitarian standards; citizens' rights; and Islamic principles. It utilises a case study of RBAs in Pakistan and reveals the significance of religion and religious entities in the translation of rights. From this example, the paper makes a conceptual distinction between 'instrumental' and 'substantial' modes of engagement, a framing that allows for a more detailed analysis of how humanitarian actors deal with religion and rights than what is often found in studies of humanitarian action.