AAM dismayed at a Peshawar court order News Desk Islamabad: The organisers of the Aurat Azadi March (women liberation march) Islamabad chapter has expressed dismay at the order issued by a Peshawar session court. The sessions court judge on Friday directed the Peshawar Cantonment police to file an FIR under Section 22A of the CrPC against organisers and participants of …

High Asia Herald Report Journalists, politicians, academics, intellectuals and rights activists have expressed solidarity with the organisers of the Aurat Azadi March (AAM) and have condemned the smear campaign by obscurantist rightwing groups and trolls. The Aurat March was held in several cities of Pakistan to commemorate International Women’s Day on 8th March. A joint statement signed by over 1,000 …

News Desk A Pakistani climbers team are in Nepal to make mountaineering history by attempting Annapurna to pay tribute to the late Muhammad Ali Sadpara, who died on K2 on February 5, 2021, along with two Western mountaineers. The four-climber team will attempt the 10th highest mountain peak of the world as a tribute to the high-altitude porters of Gilgit-Baltistan. …

News Desk Manizha’s family came to Russia after fleeing civil war in Tajikistan, and now she will represent her adopted country at the Eurovision Song Contest in May. Also see: https://www.rferl.org/embed/player/0/31144071.html?type=video Manizha’s unlikely journey to the finals in Rotterdam has also included social activism and a role as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. RFE/RL’s Tajik Service

By Rozina Ahmed Marriage is a social contract between an adult man and woman with their free will to live a life together. The success of this relationship depends on shared ideals, mutual respect, dignity and equal distribution of economic and social responsibilities. However, historically, women have always been disadvantaged and exploited in the name of customs and traditions associated …

News Desk When I cycled to Shimshal last year to document the stories of high altitude porters, little did I know where this journey would take me? If there is one thing I learnt from this visit, it was how to nurture your dreams despite adverse circumstances, writes blogger, climber Kamran Munawar on Bike on his Facebook page. “Passion, positivity, …

Political parties and lawyers have expressed their resolve to fight for the freedom of the press, expression guaranteed in the Constitution. They called for an end to muffling of the freedom of media and expression, repressive censorship, press advice, retrenchments of journalists and media workers, payment of salaries, the abolition of the unjust and discriminatory advertisement policy of the federal government and implementation of the 8th Wage Board Award.

By Abdullah Rana Unab Sumble’s figurative painting in acrylic and ink on canvas. Credit: Gallery6 Islamabad: What comes to mind when you wake up in the morning? Clear images, or abstract thoughts? Buoyant faces, or empty, shattered visages? Blue skies, or the darkest grey thunderstorms? What rings in your ears? Is it the silvery voice of a loved one, sweet …

The California-based Sadequain Foundation has published the 25th book on the 34th anniversary of the legendary artist, poet and intellectual. By Farman Ali The title cover of the new book From the Sketchbook of Sadequain. Credit: Dr Salman Ahmed Islamabad: A new book of drawings by Sadequain, an internationally-acclaimed and Pakistan’s most revered calligrapher, muralist, poet, intellectual has been published. …

I lost my brother but not the courage we shared, says the award-winning documentary ‘Unsung Heroes’ Pakistan Shero fame climber Shakela Nazar By Raheem Sherazi Shakeela and Nadeema during the climb of Yazghel Sar Peak in Shimshal. Photo: Qudrat Ali “Look! I did what I could not in your life without you.” These are the words of Shakila Numa, one …

High Asia Herald Report Islamabad, Feb 17: Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) will set-up its regional culture centre in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) for the promotion of the unique but secluded art and culture of the mountainous region. A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect was signed here on Wednesday between PNCA Director-General Dr Fouzia Saeed and GB’s minister for …

Only 0.35m tourists visited the Central Asian country last year as compared to 1.25m in the previous year, says an official News Desk Coronavirus pandemic hit the global tourism sector hard in 2020, proving to be the worst year in tourism history with 1 billion fewer international arrivals, says the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNETO). The direct contribution of …

The tremor have been felt by millions in northern Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan News Desk Islamabad: A moderate earthquake jolted the High Asia region on Friday (February 12) evening causing panic among millions of people in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China’s western Xinjiang province. The epicentre of the relatively deep earthquake was Murghab, Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous province of Tajikistan, media and …

Muhammad Ali Sadpara, who went missing on K2 on February 5, 2021, will be remembered as a hero for his courage and feats, writes M Ilyas Khan, an Islamabad-based senior journalist and correspondent for BBC News. Muhammad Ali Sadpara, a versatile mountaineer, is the only Pakistani to have climbed eight of the world’s 14 highest mountain peaks, and he made …

News Desk Lahore: Rights activists have showered tributes on Asma Jehangir, co-founder and iconic human rights defender and courageous person. At a reference at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) office on Thursday, veteran journalist and former secretary-general IA Rehman said that Ms Jahangir ‘defined courage.’ “She did not shy away from the possible consequences of a principled action …