In this article, Raza Naeem remembers Khalida Hussain, an esteemed Urdu short story writer who passed away on January 11, 2018.   by Raza Naeem “Somebody speaks inside me day and night: Now it’s your turn…now you will see.” And then as the mystery gets deeper, the story’s mystery. These lines come at the climax of Sawari (Ride), the representative short story …

When we talk about the carpets of Central Asia, we typically mean those produced by Turkmens. However, the production of this homemade handicraft was historically widespread among other peoples of the region: Karakalpaks, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Arabs, Tajiks, and Uzbeks, Emira Gyul. She focuses specifically on the Uzbek tradition of carpet weaving. by Elmira Gyul Carpet-weaving is an amazing art with which mankind …

Language emerges as a powerful manifestation of a culture that acts as an identity-marker at the individual and societal levels, writer Professor Dr Shahid Siddiqui. Dr Shahid Siddiqui Language and society constantly influence each other. Social factors, such as age, gender, class and religion, influence language; conversely, language impacts society in a relatively subtle way. Path-breaking research conducted by American …

GILGIT: Thousands of Buddhists from Japan, South Korea and other parts of the world visiting Gilgit city every year crave to see the 7th-century Kargah Buddha figure carved into solid rock at a high altitude, but face difficulties due to the dilapidated condition of the road leading to the site. Kargah Buddha, Yashani in the local language, is a unique …

 Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro on the distinctive aesthetic to be found in Gojal valley, upper Hunza of Gilgit-Baltistan By Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro The Wakhi are known for their distinctive way of life, music, traditional food and festivals. Tracing their origin to the Wakhan region, in the north-east of Afghanistan, this ethnic group now live in many remote valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan. In recent …

Haider Ali questions the role of South’s elite class in running community organizations and marginalization of GBC By Haider Ali Shakespeare in his two classic masterpieces Hamlet and Merchant of Venice has exposed the aristocracy and upper classes’ corruption, immorality, their oppressive behaviour towards the middle and lower classes, their victimization, exploitation, and commodification of the poor through rituals. The …

Raza Naeem offers a translation in which the late Enver Sajjad (1935 – 2019) writes about himself and his art by Raza Naeem Translator’s Note: One of Pakistan’s last true Renaissance men, writer, novelist, artist, actor, dancer and playwright, Dr Enver Sajjad passed away on June 6 last week. He was one of the last Pakistani writers who wrote fiction of an …

Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir reflects on Chitral’s place in what was once a largely Buddhist region Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was once Gandhara, one of the earliest centres of Buddhism. The Peshawar Valley, in particular, has several archaeological sites dating to the Buddhist era with Takht Bhai in Mardan and Ranigat in Swabi being among the most well known. …

Last year over 17,000 tourists flocked to Kalash valley which is comprised of three valleys with 4,000 population. Herald Report In remote Kalash valley of Chitral, the Kalash minority community has preserved their unique culture, traditions, and lifestyle in the face of growing threats from external intrusion and coercion. Kalasha, a primitive pagan tribe, have a unique religion, culture, rituals …

The gallery-cum-studio was opened with the launching of four upcoming female artists By Farman Ali A new art gallery-cum-studio opened its doors to the art enthusiast at E-11 sector on Friday with showcasing intricate artwork of four upcoming female artists. Tasveerkhana is a new addition to the art landscape of the capital managed by Pakistan’s noted painter, sculptor, playwright, director, …

A Pakistani student’s reflection on Conference on Dialogue for Asian Civilizations that held in Beijing May 13-15, 2019. By Ahsamullah Najib It was a memorable event of my life to participate in a mega event that featured world leaders, scholars, artists, and celebrities. The Asian Civilization Parade, Asian Cultural Festival, Asian Civilization Joint Exhibition, Asian Film and TV Week, Asian …

Harris Khalique’s new English poetry collection documents people’s suffering Farman Ali Noted poet Harris Khalique’s new collection of poetry in English hits the stands. The book “No Fortunes to Tell” documents personal experiences and human sufferings — from Waziristan to Balochistan to Aleppo and Yemen and evolution of his craft in English. “It is the culmination of a decade of …

Representatives of over a dozen indigenous peoples of mountainous regions discuss challenges, opportunities, and strategies at Bahrain conference Farman Ali The adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on the 13th of September 2007 was a major step towards addressing the human rights violations against 400 million Indigenous peoples in over 70 countries. The Declaration …

Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir holds his Fort and offers a view of daily life in his winter refuge Even though I am based in Islamabad, during the winter I always spend at least a week to ten days in Chitral every other month, so as to see that my affairs run smoothly. This includes both paperwork as well as meetings …

Zaynab Mukhammad-Dost The Turkish and Turkic Collections at the British Library are the largest collections of manuscript and printed material from the Turkic world housed anywhere in the United Kingdom, says Michael Erdman in an Interview with Zaynab Mukhammad-Dost. What is special about the British Library’s Turkish and Turkic collections? What is the most treasured item? Does the British Museum, …