Mashaal Gauhar

London’s Grenfell Tower tragedy in which over 30 people were killed when a fire engulfed a block of government-funded flats shines a spotlight on the Dickensian aspects of life where living standards between rich and poor differ dramatically. In a city where affordable housing for citizens remains elusive, this building was covered in cheap, flammable […]

The recent three-day army operation to root out ISIS militants from the restive province of Balochistan underscores the severity of a conflict which has claimed countless innocent lives. In the wake of the operation, the Pakistan Army stated that ISIS infrastructure had been effectively dismantled in Balochistan. Sadly, endemic violence continues unabated. Last week China […]

With her outstanding contribution in the field of public health, Dr Sania Nishtar’s pioneering work through her public health NGO, Heartfile, has drawn international acclaim, most recently from the World Health Organisation where she was nominated for the role of Director General. This stands as testament to the impact of her work not just in […]

The recent carnage at Manchester Arena represents Britain’s deadliest terrorist attack since the multiple bombings which convulsed the capital in 2005. With children among the 22 people killed in the suicide bomb blast, this incomprehensible tragedy has drawn an outpouring of grief and condemnation from across the globe. The attacker, a British citizen of Libyan […]

Emmanuel Macron’s decisive victory in France’s recent presidential election signifies a new chapter in French politics. In a country where traditional parties have dominated the political landscape, his achievement is all the more staggering given that he has emerged on the platform of his newly-founded party En Marche. Moreover, France’s rejection of far-right hardliner Marine […]

With the intractable Kashmir conflict raging unabated, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent call for a multilateral resolution to the dispute must have been taken into account. However, the Indian government, asserting that the dispute had to be resolved bilaterally between New Delhi and Islamabad, quickly dismissed the proposal. In response to India’s refusal to […]

“In the above mentioned sorry and unfortunate state of affairs a conclusion has appeared to me to be unavoidable and inescapable that in the matter of explaining the wealth and assets respondent No. 1 has not been honest to the nation, to the nation’s representatives in the National Assembly and even to this Court.” — […]

“My wife said to me this morning that she had spent her life taking care of her son. Those who killed him have wasted all that long struggle,” these words spoken by Mashal Khan’s father during an interview express the grief that perhaps only a parent who has lost their child can fully understand. Referring […]

Pakistan’s countless flesh and blood victims of the seemingly unstoppable terrorist juggernaut rarely make international headlines. Obscured by the mainstream news narrative, the image of Pakistan which emerges hardly takes into account the extent of the loss, injury, and trauma endured by people on an all too frequent basis. From recent terrorist attacks in Lahore […]

International leaders and intellectuals recently congregated on Boao Forum in China to discuss global trade and diplomacy. At the forum, China’s ambitious Belt and Road initiative drew comment and analysis from the region’s leading observers. Announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, with the objective of building a dual trade and infrastructure network linking […]