Author: Sudhir Ahmad Afridi

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi Pashtun culture is often reduced in popular imagination to the rhythms of the Attan or other dances, but this is only a small fragment of a far more profound and multifaceted heritage. True Pashtun values have always been rooted in social ethics, communal responsibility, and a deep respect for life and tradition. For instance, in villages and towns across Pashtun regions, the passing of a neighbor has long required even pre-scheduled weddings to be postponed. Aerial firing, once a common celebratory practice, would never be considered appropriate in such circumstances. Young people, known as Kasharan, were…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi KHYBER: Doctors and hospital staff at the District Headquarters Hospital in Lundi Kotal, Khyber district, have staged a protest against prolonged electricity outages, refusing to operate the outpatient department (OPD) until the crisis is resolved. Staff say that power has been cut for up to 20 hours a day over the past several days, severely affecting medical services. Hospital personnel reported that the absence of electricity has brought operations in wards, the emergency department, laboratories, and other critical units to a halt. With winter temperatures dropping, patients are reportedly facing heightened discomfort and health risks. Doctors…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi KHYBER: In a case of women’s access to justice in Khyber District, female members of the District Resolution Council (DRC) at Lundi Kotil Police Station successfully resolved a complex and sensitive case for the first time. The case involved a widow whose husband had died in a traffic accident in 2024. Following the incident, the deceased’s heirs were required under Islamic law to pay 3.5 million rupees in “diyat” compensation. However, the deceased’s brother collected the amount and refused to hand it over to the widow. After months of unsuccessful attempts to claim her rightful share,…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi PESHAWAR: The Zalmi Foundation, in collaboration with UN Women and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, marked the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with a youth-focused event that combined women’s cricket with a showcase on digital safety. Held under the theme “From the Field to the Feed: Standing Strong Against Digital Violence,” the initiative highlighted how sports, technology, and community engagement can work together to protect women and girls from online abuse. The campaign focused on combating digital forms of gender-based violence, including cyberstalking, harassment, doxxing, identity theft, misinformation, and AI-enabled harm, all of which…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has unveiled a new initiative to provide free education to orphan students who pass the MD-CAT examination, along with launching internship programs for bachelor’s and master’s degree holders. Speaking at an event at Frontier Women College, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi outlined several key measures to promote higher education. He inaugurated the free higher education scheme for female students and orphans, while emphasizing that MD-CAT qualifying orphans would also benefit from fully funded education opportunities. Under the “Insaf Female Education Card” scheme, around 55,000 female students will gain access to free education.…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi TORKHAM: For a punishing fortnight, the vital artery of Torkham, the busiest trade crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, fell silent, its gates sealed and its bustling yards transformed into a stagnant parking lot for hundreds of stranded cargo trucks. The closure brought the frenetic pulse of bilateral commerce to a grinding halt, casting a long shadow over the economies of both nations and leaving thousands of drivers in a state of anxious limbo. Customs officials on the ground reported a dispiriting scene, with long queues of freight trucks snaking back from the border post on both…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi KHYBER: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi has vowed to protect the rights of tribal districts “to the very end,” declaring that no further military operations would be permitted. Speaking at a peace jirga in Badhra, Afridi stressed that decisions regarding the tribal areas would be made transparently, with full consultation of public representatives and local elders. He announced a series of step-by-step peace jirgas across all tribal districts, culminating in a grand jirga to develop a unified strategy for peace and development, warning that ignoring its resolutions could have serious consequences. Afridi praised the tribal…

The Torkham border closure has entered its ninth day, crippling Pakistan-Afghanistan trade, spoiling goods, and driving up essential commodity prices. By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi TORKHAM: The Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained sealed for a ninth consecutive day on Tuesday, deepening economic distress and leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded as diplomatic tensions between the two neighbors showed no sign of easing. The closure, enforced amid ongoing security and political frictions, has halted all pedestrian and trade movement through one of the busiest arteries linking South and Central Asia. The suspension has paralysed the flow of goods, with traders…

Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa repelled a militant attack on Baka Khel station, as a separate roadside blast caused no casualties nearby. By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi BANNU: Police in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said they had foiled an overnight militant attack on a police station in Baka Khel, after an exchange of gunfire forced the assailants to flee. Officials said the attackers opened fire on the station late Monday, prompting a swift and coordinated response from officers on duty. The ensuing gun battle lasted several minutes before the militants retreated under the cover of darkness. Police later launched a search operation…

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi issued a firm warning on Tuesday, declaring that any attack on Pakistan, including those originating from Afghanistan, would be met with a definitive and forceful response. Speaking informally with journalists in Peshawar, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader struck a combative tone on national security. “Whoever attacks Pakistan, including Afghanistan, will get a full-force reply,” he said, signaling the provincial government’s readiness to support retaliatory measures against cross-border aggression. Afridi also addressed the sensitive issue of Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, urging their honorable and dignified return to their homeland…