Over the past few months, Pakistan’s dire economic situation has garnered considerable attention in the political, media and intellectual mainstream. Back-breaking inflation, record unemployment and a plunging rupee have been accompanied by desperation to acquire more loans from external creditors, most notably the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Even now the country stands perilously close to default. The current government insists …

By Our correspondent Speaker of an event organised in connection with International Women’s Day highlighted the role of women in building strong communities and creating a better future for all. The event titled “Empowering Women, Empowering Communities” was jointly held by the Women Rights Movement GB and Ciqam – Green Solutions Pvt Ltd to celebrate the strength, resilience, and contribution …

By Hassan Abbas On Sept 19, 1960, a treaty was signed between India and Pakistan on water sharing. The decis­i­ons taken effectively meant that the three rivers of the Indus River basin — each rivalling the size of the Colorado River — would not be allowed to follow their natural courses. This was unprecedented. Since the dawn of the Industrial …

Author of surprise hit Capital in the Anthropocene has developed his arguments in a new study of Karl Marx’s ecological thinking. By Maya Goodfellow When academic Kohei Saito submitted his manuscript on Karl Marx, the ecological crisis and arguments for degrowth economics, he hoped it might introduce at least some people in Japan to a new perspective on the climate …

By News desk Various Pakistani universities have signed cooperative agreements with leading Turkish universities during their visit to Istanbul for the exchange of students and faculty to boost academic collaboration.  According to a statement, the agreements were signed under the auspices of the Association of Private Sector Universities Pakistan (APSUP). The agreements were signed by Istanbul Aydin Universty and Yeditepe …

From who is most affected to who gets to be in the room when decisions are made, gender affects every aspect of our relationship with climate change. By Rina Saeed Khan Gender imbues every aspect of our relationship with climate change, especially in the South Asian region. Deep-rooted gender inequality can leave many women in South Asia more vulnerable to …

By Dr Naazir Mahmood The Indus Cultural Forum (ICF) has been organizing the Pakistan Mother Languages Literature (PMLL) Festival in Islamabad for the last eight years. It coincides with the International Mother Language Day the world observes annually on February 21. In 1999, Unesco introduced this day to raise awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and promote multilingualism; and the …

By News desk Investigative journalist Umar Cheema has claimed that the storm of audio leaks does not seem to be abating as there is a threat of more coming in the next few days. Commenting on the suo moto notice taken by the supreme court over the delay in Punjab and KP by-polls, Umar quoted SC judges Justice Mansoor Ali …

By Dr Aasim Sajjad Akhtar        THE IMF issues commandments, and our finance czars comply. The most recent iteration of this merry-go-round saw the government going through the motions of farcical parliamentary legislation to levy yet more indirect taxes on a helpless populace. No need to whisper it: this is a banana republic. Debate over whether the khakis, bureaucrats, the …

By S. Amjad Hussain I was going to write about the happenings in this northwestern corner of Pakistan in the foothills of Khyber Pass, but the death of a dear friend in Karachi pre-empted my plans. Today, the entire country of Pakistan, the Urdu speaking Indians, and the Urdu Diaspora around the world are mourning the passing of Zia Mohyeddin, …

By Aamir Hussain Nihal The recent horrific road crash on the Karakorum Highway (KKH) which resulted in the death of over 20 passengers and injuries to many others, serves as a grim reminder of the gross disregard for road safety and security standards and negligence on the part of the relevant authorities. The head on collision between a Rawalpindi-bound passenger …

By Our Special Correspondent The leadership of Awami Action Committee Gilgit-Baltistan (AACGB) – a conglomerate of half a dozen progressive and nationalist parties – has expressed outrage at the unbridled capture of land, pillage of natural resources of the mountainous region, imposition of illegal taxes on the locals, cut in wheat quota and withdrawal of subsidy on the essential commodity …

By Amir Hussain Gilgit-Baltistan is grappling with a severe energy deficit, which has far-reaching ramifications for its economic and societal progress. From a common perspective, the cause of this energy crisis is rooted in technical deficiencies, including insufficient power generation and transmission infrastructure, as well as inadequate utilization of available energy sources. The scarcity of indigenous fossil fuel reserves exacerbates …

News Desk Islamabad: The script of Burushaski, one of the most unique and endangered languages of Gilgit-Baltistan has been officially recognized. A primer of the Perso-Arabic script with Roman characters was formally launched at the National Curriculum Council secretariat in the federal capital on Tuesday (January 31). Dr Mueezuddin Hakal an Assistant Professor at the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilization, …

News Desk Islamabad: In an era of global economic crisis a young entrepreneur from Chitral has embarked on an ambitious plan to combat poverty in the Hindu Kush mountainous region. Through his startup, AIVestify, Khairuddin Shadani, aims to eliminate poverty in his scenic valley by 2030 using artificial intelligence (AI) as an information partner to support the “Trillion-Dollar-Fund” (TDF). The …