News Desk MENDOZA: Pakistan’s Asad Ali Memon successfully climbed Aconcagua — the highest mountain peak in South America — and hoisted a 50-meter-long national flag at the top this week. The 22-year-old mountaineer dedicated his success to the soldiers of the Pakistan Army and the people of Kashmir after making it to the highest mountain in the world outside Asia. …

Critics accuse the Tajik authorities of exploiting the state’s campaign against extremism and terrorism to clamp down on religious groups and individuals critical of government policies. Clerics, politicians, professors among the 27 suspects picked detained in several regions   At least 27 suspected followers of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement have been detained in several different regions of Tajikistan in …

“Reading does not consist merely of decoding the written word or language; rather, it is preceded by and intertwined with knowledge of the world which always precedes reading the word,  involving critical perception, interpretation, and rewriting of what is read,” writes Rifat Syed, quoting Paulo Freire, Brazilian Educator, Philosopher, and author of the ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’. She has conducted …

Every year about 800,000 people take their own life — 11.4 people per 100,000 population and in Pakistan, it is 1.4 per 100,000, say reports and experts Herald Report Suicide is the 15th leading cause of death globally and around 11.4 people per 100,000 population kill themselves every year and in Pakistan, it is 1.4 persons per 100,000 population. Every …

Herald Report A Jeddah-bound plane made an emergency landing at Lahore airport minutes after take-off on Sunday morning, according to media reports. The flight was aborted after a fire in the Boeing 777’s main engine caused apparently by short-circuited wire. However, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said the flight was delayed due to a “technical fault” in the …

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro offers a portrait of the village of Immit in Ghizer district by Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro While going to Iskhoman, one passes by Gahkuch town, the headquarters of Ghizer district. It is also the main stop for Shandur, Yasin, Gupis and Ishkoman valleys. Ishkoman is one of the four tehsil of Ghizer district. The other three are Punial, …

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro on the heritage and folklore of the people of Punial in Gilgit-Baltistan by Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro   Punial valley of Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan is known for its oral history, folklore, visual culture, looming Hindu Kush mountains, verdant and sprawling villages, nullahs (side valleys) full of pastures, gushing Gilgit River coursing through Punial valley and, of course, the …

Paris-based Watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned of an “alarming decline” in the state of press freedom in Pakistan and called on Prime Minister Imran Khan to take urgent measures to address the situation. RSF took issue with Khan’s recent statement during a trip to Washington that talking about curbs on press freedom in Pakistan was a “joke,” outlining several …

GBYA, ‘Save GB Movement’ activists seek an end to occupation of community lands, resources by state under the pretext of development and security, demarcation of borders, release of political prisoners by Anayat Baig Karachi, July 21: The youth of Gilgit-Baltistan held a protest outside Karachi Press Club on Sunday against Ghizer incident, land grabbing in the region, and violation of its …

Being a rare guest in a valley hitherto unspoilt by the ravages of tourism can be a magical and an unforgettable experience, writes Asif Farrukhi. by Asif Farrukhi A geographical confusion landed me in the Ishkoman Valley but having reached there, I decided to stay put. Like many Karachiites, I was filled with vague notions to travel up North as …