Coercion & consent
IN the aftermath of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, there has been much conjecture about the increasingly dystopian direction of Pakistan’s militarised polity. But to date there is no street mobilisation…
Are the children safe?
Every morning, millions of children walk into schools across Pakistan with hopes, dreams and a desire to learn. Yet, behind these school walls, many face risks that threaten not only…
Protest politics
A DEMOCRACY activist wins the Nobel Peace Prize and the president of one of the world’s most powerful democracies begrudges her the honour. The best author would struggle to coin…
The Muslim cause
THE exhausted, brutalised people of Gaza have been promised a let-up in Israel’s relentless assaults at numerous points over the past two years. Yet the bombs have continued to drop.…
Damage control
IN the past week, it seemed attention was focused on the Middle East, Hamas, Israel and the much-discussed peace plan. But Pakistan is never far away from the excitement, even…
Unfulfilled promises
IT was clear that the government would eventually accept the demands of protesters in Azad Kashmir, and re-initiate talks with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) after the loss of lives and…
Who’s in charge here?
Pakistan is earning applause abroad but faces anxiety at home. The gap between international recognition and domestic reality has rarely looked so wide – or so dangerous. The federation is…
Need for proactive resilience
Pakistan's floods are not just a natural disaster; they are a tragic intersection of a changing climate, political tensions and our own unpreparedness. The country’s troubling history of severe flooding…
No objection to perks
A couple of years back, a major development agency was executing a project in the higher education sector in Pakistan. The goal of the project was to assist a group…
Our AI decade
It is the year 2035. In Punjab’s fields, AI-powered drones guide farmers on the exact day to plant and harvest. Driverless trucks move goods from Karachi’s port to markets without…
