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By Nayat Karim Islamabad, originally conceived in the 1960s as a carefully planned capital for a relatively small population, has expanded far beyond the vision of its original master plan. According to the 2023 Population and Housing Census, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) is now home to more than 2.36 million residents, up from around 2 million in 2017 (Statistics, 2023), reflecting an annual growth rate of approximately 2.8 percent. The wider Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan region now exceeds 5.7 million people (Statistics, 2023), making it one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing urban corridors. The city has expanded from its original planned sectors into dozens…

By Atiq Raja The recent unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has once again brought the region into sharp focus. Reports of clashes between protesters and security forces, resulting in the tragic loss of civilian and security personnel lives, have saddened people across Pakistan and beyond. Every life lost serves as a painful reminder that political disagreements and public grievances should never be allowed to descend into violence. At the heart of the current protests are demands raised by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and other civil society groups. While some concerns relate to economic pressures such as…

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By Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal In the divine framework of guidance bestowed upon humankind, the Holy Quran presents itself not merely as a spiritual scripture but as a comprehensive moral and social constitution. Within its encompassing wisdom lie clearly defined parameters of lawful and unlawful conduct, shaping the contours of individual behaviour as well as collective life. At the heart of this guidance is the institution of marriage, described as a sacred covenant designed to foster tranquillity, companionship and mutual responsibility between spouses. It is a bond that, in its ideal form, is meant to be sustained through mercy, patience and…

By Alia Zarar Khan It is encouraging to observe a gradual but noticeable shift in parts of society where women are increasingly finding the confidence, language, and institutional backing to speak openly about harassment, abuse, and experiences that were once routinely silenced or dismissed. What is particularly significant is not only the willingness to speak, but also the fact that such accounts are now more likely to receive timely attention, both from the public and from relevant authorities, rather than being pushed into obscurity. In recent years, there has been a growing sense that formal mechanisms of response are beginning…

By Umer F. Pirzada Nearly a decade after Altaf Hussain’s exclusion from mainstream politics, Karachi’s persistent challenges continue to raise difficult questions about representation, reconciliation and democracy. Karachi is a city of contradictions. It generates a substantial share of Pakistan’s economic activity, yet its residents often struggle with basic municipal services. It is home to millions of ambitious Pakistanis, yet many feel politically unheard. Having closely followed Karachi’s political evolution for years, I find it difficult to ignore a question that continues to surface in conversations across the city: after nearly a decade of Altaf Hussain’s exclusion from mainstream politics,…

India’s persistent objections to international references to Jammu and Kashmir have become a familiar feature of its diplomacy, but recent reactions to statements issued jointly by Pakistan with the European Union and China underline a reality that New Delhi continues to confront with growing difficulty. Despite repeated assertions that Kashmir is an internal matter and that no third party has any role in discussing it, the issue remains embedded in international political discourse. Far from disappearing from the global agenda, Kashmir continues to surface in diplomatic conversations involving major powers and international institutions, reflecting its enduring significance as one of…

The debate over South Asia’s evolving air power balance is no longer confined to military headquarters in Islamabad and New Delhi. What was once a regional contest measured through official statements, defence budgets and symbolic demonstrations of strength has increasingly become the subject of broader international scrutiny. The events surrounding the May 2025 military confrontation between Pakistan and India have intensified that attention, prompting analysts, diplomats and defence observers to revisit long-held assumptions about military superiority in one of the world’s most volatile regions. For decades, the conventional wisdom surrounding South Asian security rested on a simple premise: India’s larger…

By Asghar Ali Mubarak As Pakistan moves towards the presentation of the federal budget for 2026-27, the most significant development is not the size of the budget, the proposed tax targets or the allocations for development projects. It is the political consensus that appears to have emerged between the federal government and the Pakistan Peoples Party. At a time when economic uncertainty continues to weigh heavily on households and businesses alike, the agreement reached between the coalition partners offers a measure of stability that has often been absent from Pakistan’s fiscal planning process. The meeting held at the Presidency, attended…