World Water Day and World Forest Day have passed, yet their warnings echo in vain across a nation where rivers bleed saline, and trees smoulder into ash. With Pakistan’s per capita water availability plummeting to 908 cubic meters (a staggering 40 % drop since 2000) and forests occupying a mere 4.5% of the land, the […]
Shattering the Silence
The 32-year sentence handed to a Karachi father for raping his daughter is a rare flicker of accountability in a justice system shrouded in shadows. While the verdict offers a semblance of closure for a survivor who endured years of abuse (even bearing a child from her torment) it lays bare a grotesque reality: Pakistan’s […]
Sindh’s Job Portal
The Sindh government’s launch of a centralized job portal is a commendable stride toward addressing youth unemployment, a crisis plaguing a province where 11.1% of Pakistan’s youth remain jobless. Sindh’s rate is likely even higher due to urban migration and industrial decline. By bridging job seekers and employers across sectors, the PPP has modernized its […]
Road Safety
The mangled remains of a Suzuki Alto on a motorway last week did more than shock viewers; it held up a mirror to Pakistan’s deadly complacency toward road safety. The Alto, celebrated for its affordability, has long been exposed as a deathtrap on wheels, its flimsy frame and absent safety features rendering it unfit for […]
Ban Plan
Gradually, the world is shutting down its doors to the green passport. If Donald Trump’s administration in Washington is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of Pakistan, including other countries, it should serve as a reminder to fix our house. The US is preparing to impose travel bans on dozens of countries. Pakistan […]
Solar Roller
The prevalent energy crisis is pushing people towards solar power. One of the biggest reasons for solar power is the soaring electricity prices. As every unit was putting a hole in consumers’ pockets, more households and businesses started installing solar panels. By the end of 2024, the number of solar users had jumped to nearly […]
Dire Warning
The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has sounded the alarm: water levels in Tarbela and Mangla dams are rapidly approaching “dead storage.” For a country where agriculture drives livelihoods and hydropower lights homes, this is a five-alarm fire. With a high likelihood of Punjab and Sindh heading towards a 35 per cent shortfall (in line […]
Protocol Politics
Deputy Inspector General Faisal Kamran’s vow that “no one is above the law” gained fleeting credibility last week when Lahore Police invoked the Anti-Terrorism Act to arrest four suspects in the Dharampura Underpass shooting. Yet the grainy cellphone footage of the incident-armed men in a black SUV firing indiscriminately, a guard assaulting a motorcyclist before […]
Breaking the Cycle
It is a story that keeps repeating itself. Pakistani Ahmadis, forced to live in constant fear, have once again found themselves at the mercy of a system that not only fails to protect but, in many instances, becomes an accomplice to their persecution. This past March alone, authorities arrested 22 individuals in Sialkot; over two […]
Soaring Remittances
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s calls to halt remittances-a tactic with an aim to undermine Pakistan’s economy-have proven futile. In February alone, Rs 312 billion were remitted; a striking 40% surge that defies efforts to isolate our financial lifeline. Instead of bowing to divisive rhetoric, overseas Pakistanis have doubled down, sending hard-earned money that not […]