The only solutions to the Palestinian issue, is to establish a secular democratic state where Muslims, Jews and Christians co-exist with harmony as equal citizens. Only this single state narrative can serve as a guarantee to shun any move to divide the society on a religious, ethnic, or racial basis.

Hazara community in mourning but defiant after more than 60 people killed in school bomb blasts by Stefanie Glinski in Kabul Women gather to mourn the victims – mostly girls – of a series of explosions outside Sayed Al-Shuhada school in Kabul’s Hazara district. Photo: The Guardian Latifa and Hosnia had been sharing a wooden bench in their classroom at …

By Noor Akbar A month ago, I was making a PowerPoint presentation on the latest population statistics of Pakistan and its administered regions — Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan — as part of my lesson plan for an online session. I sifted through the related books, visited websites, and other reliable sources including the official website of the Pakistan Bureau of …

The mining sector of the Kyrgyz Republic has been attracting a lot of diverse investments even despite frequent conflicts and violence. Investors are advised to consider volatile politics when entering the market. But for communities living in the mining areas, these investments are “life-changing, if not life-destroying”, says researcher Beril Ocaklı, published on the Voices on Central Asia.org online magazine. …

Covid-19 has shown how much we miss a powerful workers movement.

By Sher Zaman It was a chilly morning of March 2021 at the busy Gahkuch Bazaar. The bazaar here opens early at dawn and closes at dusk. Young Hidayatullah* has opened his general store in the heart of the bazaar. He was looking forward to a usual day before he would retire to his shared room with several other traders …

by Aasim Sajjad Akhtar When Mashal Khan was brutally lynched four years ago, the Tehrik-e-Labbaik-Pakistan (TLP) was still a relatively new and unknown force. As we remember Mashal today, the TLP has dramatically become Pakistan’s most powerful Islamist group, with unmatched mobilizational capacity. TLP activists block roads in various cities of Punjab, Sindh and KP to protest detention of their …

By Ghulam Amin Beg For some years we thought that we have learned our lessons and embraced peace after decades of violence. We thought ‘the powers that be’ will ensure peace and calm in Gilgit-Baltistan as the gateway to CPEC and will shun the policy of ‘divide and rule’. We thought coalition governments and inclusive policies will help transition to …

By Eesha Shafqat Engaging youth in development could lead to a real socio-economic revolution in society keeping in view their immense potential and commitment to serve humanity. Therefore, it is quite heartening development that this vital role of youth is being acknowledged and they are being engaged to play their much-needed role in the development of their respective communities. It …

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 …

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 …

By: Reshma P. Musofer The educational reforms and ‘single-national curriculum’ have lately become a widely debated topic in Pakistan and across the globe. However, little efforts have been seen to respond to the practical challenges pertaining to ways of enactment and imparting education. My recent research paper as part of my PhD thesis, published in Curriculum Journal, is an effort …

By Asim Sajjad Akhtar BALOCHISTAN bleeds again. Yet another episode of gruesome brutality against Hazaras — coal miners no less — has brought yet another protest movement into existence. Yesterday it was the death of a Baloch daughter of the soil on foreign shores, tomorrow it will be a Pashtun man falling prey to the Taliban or their makers. Khurram …

by Asad Raza Gokal Since September 2020, when the UAE struck with Israel a deal on normalizing relations, alarm bells began to ring louder for the Pakistani Shia diaspora residing in the country. In the United Arab Emirate (UAE), members of the Shia families, a religious minority, are mostly employed in professions that pay them enough to cater the needs …

PEMA GYAMTSHO Mountains are a barometer of the planet’s health – changes in these lofty parts of the world dictate how rivers flow and crops grow and livelihoods endure elsewhere. And yet, global recognition of these vital regions has been rather underwhelming, in contrast, to say the Amazon or the polar regions. International Mountain Day (IMD), celebrated on this very day …