Nominating women to reserved legislative seats has done little for the cause of women in Pakistan. Political parties must be made to field more winning women candidates.
Putting the year in perspective, editor Roman Gautam and the hosts of Himal’s podcasts take a look back at the highlights, stories and episodes that shaped an extraordinary and challenging year
The decades-long conflict between India and Pakistan has forced children into conditions of chronic stress, anxiety and malnutrition, with high levels of PTSD reported in Indian-administered Kashmir
Attack on Shia convoy, part of ongoing sectarian bloodshed in Kurram district, shows how Pakistan’s government, Sunni majority and Islamist militant groups have left Shias dehumanised and fighting for their lives
In his new memoir, spanning the 1980s and the present, the renowned writer and activist reflects on neoliberalism in the West and turmoil in Southasia, and fiercely critiques the War on Terror and the crimes of Israel
Syed Irfan Ashraf’s ‘The Dark Side of Journalism’ and Saad Mohseni and Jenna Krajeski’s ‘Radio Free Afghanistan’ show how local journalists became both victims and agents of geopolitical conflict and an exploitative global media – and looked to push back
The 26th amendment to Pakistan’s constitution means that the government – which functions at the behest of the military – will be able to rein in any judges who dare assert their independence
The journalists Saba Imtiaz and Tooba Masood-Khan talk about their new book ‘Society Girl’, and their investigation into the mysterious death of the Pakistani poet Mustafa Zaidi, and Shahnaz Gul, the much-maligned woman at the centre of these events
The Pakistani state has always tried to define itself as against ethnic identities, particularly the Pashtuns, and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement is pushing back, says socio-political commentator Hurmat Ali Shah
The Pashtun Qaumi Jirga marks a new phase of Pashtun nationalism, with a swathe of demands challenging the Pakistan state’s treatment of Pashtuns and growing support from mainstream political parties
In Multan, fierce heat and other effects of the climate crisis are hurting the health and livelihoods of agricultural workers, resulting in damaged crops, heat-related illnesses, and other adverse effects
