
Faith and Fury in Pakistani Populism: Why PTI Isn’t TLP
By Arshad Yousafzai The assertion that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) are political equivalents is both analytically flawed and factually misleading. PTI occupies the centre-right of Pakistan’s political spectrum, while TLP represents the far-right extremist fringe. Though both

Artificial Intelligence and the Weaponization of Honor: Risks for Women in Pakistan
By Fawad Pirzada In Pakistan, women already face layers of discrimination, from social restrictions to the ever-present threat of honor-based violence. Each year, cases of harassment, defamation, and killings in the name of honor remind us how fragile women’s safety

God’s anger doesn’t work on me.
By Zeeba T. Hashmi Said a young child, not more than ten, at the makeshift school for gypsy and slum dwelling children where I signed up as a volunteer. It was my first such exposure of what slum life really

Anarkali, Fact or Fiction
By Dr Amir Butt In the Southern part of Lahore’s old city there is a beautiful little mausoleum. It is a white stone building with eight corner turrets. Inside is a pure marble sarcophagus with one of the finest and

The Streets that Shaped Me
There’s a photograph that speaks volumes. It’s of an old bazaar in Peshawar, a place that holds my childhood, fears, resilience, and a lifetime of memories. This photo isn’t just a snapshot of a street; it’s a reflection of

Dhah Lagi Wasti: Stories as Symptoms, Symbols as Witnesses
As old as literature itself, symbolism’s rise in Pakistani writing was no accident—it became the defining wave of the tide during the nation’s earliest encounter with authoritarian rule. It emerged as a powerful instrument for expressing the discontent and resentment

Feeding Rights, Not Feeding Markets (Editorial)
Every child is born with an inviolable right to health and nourishment. This right is not a matter of charity, culture, or convenience—it is the most fundamental human entitlement. Breastfeeding, universally recognised by science and endorsed by global health institutions,
Ashura and Pluralism: The Spirit of Resilience, Valour and Bravery Is Awakened On the Day We Know As Yom-e-Ashura
By Zeeba T Hashmi First Published on March 17, 2015 17, 2015 The subcontinent is unique in its remembrance of Ashura by people of all religions and sects, an example for which cannot be found anywhere else in the world

“How Civilized Are We?” Two Incidents That Show Us Where We Stand
By Fawad Pirzada “If you wish to know how civilized a culture is, look at how they treat its women.” — Bacha Khan Last night, I witnessed two real-life incidents that made me question how “civilized” we truly are. The

Zubeida Mustafa: The Quiet Flame That Lit the Way (Editorial)
In an age when women confidently occupy newsrooms, anchor prime-time bulletins, and lead investigations into the most entrenched layers of society, it is easy to overlook how distant this norm once seemed. Today, the presence of women in media—speaking on
