Category: Columns

NOTWITHSTANDING Pakistan’s marginal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and the country’s greater vulnerability to climate change-driven natural disasters, policymakers seem preoccupied with climate mitigation, ie, GHG emission reduction. COP28 refreshed the resolve of countries to achieve the Nation­ally Determined Contributions; however, the NDC’s focus in Pakistan is on climate mitigation. For example, the NDC...

THE election is over, government formation underway and the uncertainty of who will govern is coming to an end. But unlike a short Hollywood film, our crisis is not about to end. In fact, this is a long Bollywood film where one dramatic moment comes midway (interval), allowing for a smoke, a trip to the...

BUDGET 2023-24 that was passed by parliament yesterday after the introduction of large fiscal-tightening measures to sweeten it for the IMF might resuscitate the bailout deal with the Fund, stalled since last November. As Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said in his closing budget speech, the IMF’s concerns regarding the original budgeted deficit of 6.5pc of...

THE question would seem odd, given the chorus of drumbeats from the media, mostly Indian but also some foreign, proclaiming victory for the Indian prime minister in the coming April-May elections. Do revisit the claims anyway, preferably with an open mind. Two lessons from India’s electoral history beg a fresh discussion about the prospects for...

The tragic events in Jaranwala, situated in the central Punjab district of Faisalabad, unfolded on August 16, 2023, claimed the lives of two Christian brothers who were accused of desecrating the holy Quran and offending the religious sentiments of local Muslims.The accusation swiftly escalated into a violent rampage, resulting in the destruction of more than...

Pakistan finds itself at the forefront of climate-induced disasters, with the catastrophic floods of 2022 serving as a stark reminder of the nation’s vulnerability to the escalating impacts of climate change. Described by the Minister of Climate Change as a “humanitarian disaster of epic proportions,” these floods illuminate the urgent need for comprehensive action to...

On February 8th, Pakistan witnessed its 14th general elections, marking another milestone in the country’s democratic journey. However, the celebrations of strengthened democracy are marred by a stark reality – a substantial impediment to the full exercise of political rights for all citizens, particularly persons with disabilities (PWDs). As I cast my ballot during this...

The Malakand district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) holds significant strategic importance, serving as a historical battleground from the times of Buddhism through British rule, the Sikh era, and conflicts involving the Yousafzai tribe. Alladand, a small valley within district Malakand, holds historical significance as the first capital of the Yousafzai tribe in over five...

Pakistan is a fascinating country, especially when examining the two extremes of the same spectrum. At one end lies the country’s landscape of inequalities with stories of incredible discrimination against women, girls, and other marginalized communities, as evidenced by reported cases of GBV, VAW, disabling and toxic workplaces, and much more. On the other end,...

Neelam Bibi* is working as a nurse in a far-flung area of Balochistan, shahkarez village, to provide maternal care services to women who are less aware of Modern Family Planning (FP) methods. Today, she rushed to the civil hospital Quetta with a close family member to treat an unexpected pregnancy-related issue. The condition of the...