There have been growing calls for tougher punishment against sexual offenders and stronger preventive measures in the aftermath of a series of violent crimes victimizing women and children. Recently, a Cabinet meeting approved a revised bill, under which a clause providing for “chemical castration” of habitual rapists had been removed from the Criminal Law (Amendment) […]
Mental Health and Cricket
To understand mental health in elite sport, it is worth considering the concept of mental toughness and how that may impact any professional. There is a belief that mental toughness and mental health are contradictory in elite sport. What is this thing called mental toughness? In simple words, mental toughness provided the performer with a […]
‘There may be trouble ahead’
Public protests, by their very nature, have the potential to provide dramatic newsworthy pictures of violence perpetrated by protestors, counter-protestors, police officers or all three. Similarly protests may escalate into full scale riots, be controlled in a heavy-handed and para-militarised manner or move peacefully and without incident. Yet, weeks of mental and physical torture have […]
Violence on Karachi streets
Since September 25, there have been a series of cases of a motorcyclist attacking women with a blade. Nine cases of attempted murder, injuring and harassment have been registered at the Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Shara-e-Faisal police stations. This is the scenario most forensic psychiatrists picture when they think of stalking. It is a profile of […]
Needed risk assessment
There would be issues surrounding identifying extremism and political violence at higher education institutions. Universities have to develop systems and policies for ‘preventing and identifying violent extremism’, while a significant number have to develop close cooperation and collaboration with state counter-terrorism policies raising potential issues of academic freedom. There is a possibility that universities, lecturers […]
Measuring interpersonal competencies
The most robust predictor of university success is interpersonal competencies, which includes dispositional conscientiousness, the tendency to be self-controlled, to be responsible to others, be hardworking, persevering, rule abiding, and achievement oriented Interest in assessing post graduate students’ learning outcomes continues to grow, driven partly by concerns of HEC and the broader public about higher […]
Veiled identity of British Muslims
Though things have improved vastly in the last few years with integration and community cohesion, the shift of Islam0phobic rhetoric into the mainstream has perturbed Muslims living in the UK. Moreover, the rhetoric in media is even unsettling. Muslims in the UK have been surrounded by discussions focussing on terrorism, radicalisation, incompatibility and conflict. During […]
Imran Khans wounded pride
According to the latest academic thinking, we are supposed to be wracked with jealousy whenever we see another person’s outsized success. Humans are wired to be jealous. I have often wondered what drives some people to the political jealousy and others to the political envy. Faith and self-confidence apparently play some role. There are other […]
Interview with a failed suicide bomber
The mission was as simple as touching two wires together; the little boy was promised. The resulting blast would obliterate the infidels — but he would go straight to heaven. Umarradicalised and rigged with his explosive payload, the boy, who was 14, was driven to his target in Punjab after being plucked from the streets […]
Maritime disputes in the South China Sea
No one expected the international arbitration court to be the last word that China had no legal basis to claim longstanding rights over most of the South China Sea, which is rich in resources and carries out $5 trillion in annual trade. The ruling also faulted China for its seemingly aggressive attempts to extend its […]