Frank F Islam

2022 has been a difficult year for Pakistan bringing challenges on the political, climate, and economic fronts. Politically, there was a transition of executive and military leadership as both the prime minister and Army chief were replaced. Former premier Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote amid much political uproar triggering continuous chaos in […]

The UN Climate Change COP 27 summit in Egypt closed on November 20 with a breakthrough “loss and damage” fund deal. This fund, to be financed by developed nations, will bring some relief to those developing and poorer countries that have been severely impacted by climate-related calamities. Getting this deal done took a marathon session […]

Pakistan has begun the slow and painful process of addressing the crisis wrought by its catastrophic flooding. Unfortunately, that climate-related crisis does not stand alone. In its aftermath, various writers and publications in Pakistan and the United States have pointed out that flooding is just one of the many crises confronting Pakistan currently due to […]

The devastation that the catastrophic flooding has wrought upon the nation of Pakistan and its people is virtually incomprehensible. Yet, if Pakistan and the world are to survive this climate change crisis, it must be comprehended and responded to in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s initial estimation of the economic […]

Inflation is having a traumatizing effect on low and middle-income people in Pakistan and nations around the world. The impact of inflation internationally was highlighted by an analysis of 44 advanced countries which found that consumer prices, in nearly all of them, have surged considerably compared to pre-pandemic times. Turkey experienced the highest inflation rate […]

Even though Pakistan is not a major contributor to climate change globally, it is being devastated by climate change. This is the conclusion that must be drawn due to the heat wave that has consumed northern India and Pakistan over the past three months and a review of the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) produced […]

As the end of Ramadan draws near and Eid approaches, it is my privilege to wish that this blessed time and the upcoming year bring my Muslim brethren and all the citizens of Pakistan love, joy and enlightenment in every sphere of life. I say this with the full realization that this past year has […]

On March 8, International Women’s Day, Pakistan announced the launch of a new National Gender Policy Framework. As the program for the launch event stated, this Framework is important because “…of the dismal national standing against international gender development indices and a widening gender gap which is costing Pakistan PKR $500 billion annually and closing […]

While waves of inflation and Covid-19 economic and health aftereffects kept pushing masses to the wall in 2021, Pakistan and Pakistanis continued to persevere. By doing this, they were able to convert many of the challenges confronting the nation to opportunities. It is important to recognize and acknowledge these steps forward as 2021 draws to […]

Misinformation, hatred and emotional exploitation have always been favourite tools of instigators, miscreants and cults. Recently revealed Facebook Papers indicate that social media has become an important channel for utilizing those tools. The Facebook Papers, scrutinized by more than a dozen news organizations, indicate a systemic problem at policy and technical levels. Frances Haugen, the […]