Not a country for women
Last week, I wrote about the ‘tyranny of medieval practices’ in Pakistan, with specific reference to the killing of a woman and a man in a desolate region of Balochistan…
Walking to death
The country was shaken by the shocking video of a woman walking with unimaginable dignity toward her death. Seven bullets pierced her body, while the man beside her was struck…
Powerless to be born
What happens when a society is wounded by an incident that challenges its legal and moral values? A lot, obviously. In addition to the law taking its own course, a…
Curse of the ‘old normal’
NOT too long ago, in Sindh’s sweltering heat, hundreds of desperate people in Shikarpur staged a prolonged dharna blocking the highway. They demanded the recovery of a child who had been kidnapped…
Because they can
What enables a man to walk into the abyss of taking the life of a living, breathing individual – and call it victory? Revenge? Honour? Ego? Let me not beat…
Not TikTok, just patriarchy
“Another life lost to internet fame”, wrote a seasoned journalist on my timeline, reacting to the brutal murder of Sana Yousaf in Islamabad, as if visibility, not violence, was the…
Down, but not out
THE women’s movement in Pakistan cannot be accused of melodrama, even when the Aurat March in Islamabad resorted to staging a symbolic funeral for women’s rights. International Women’s Day celebrations…
Urgent fight for justice
In Pakistan, the struggle for women’s rights is not just a policy issue but a daily battle against a broken system. While the constitution enshrines equality through Article 25 and…
Beyond the slogan
The persistence of slogans promoting women’s empowerment in Pakistan, where women continue to face physical, emotional, and mental harassment, reflects both the struggle for progress and the barriers that persist.…
Family at high noon
FREE of the burden of defending and explaining government policies and actions, Khawaja Asif spoke candidly about his own party. In a recent interview, he agreed the senior leadership of the…
