Pakistan Needs Accountability for Public Spending, Not Just Austerity Measures
PESHAWAR – We live in a country where an ordinary citizen keeps track of every litre of petrol for a motorcycle and thinks twice before paying an electricity bill. Yet questioning the excessive use of official vehicles can sometimes be treated as an act of disrespect. I often see government vehicles being used to transport […]
How Long Can KP Bear the Economic Cost of Terrorism?
PESHAWAR—For years, terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has taken lives, displaced families and disrupted communities. One tragedy has followed another, leaving behind grieving families and a province that continues to carry the social and economic consequences of prolonged insecurity. Yet the cost of terrorism is not measured only in lives lost or buildings damaged. Every […]
Petition seeks ban on social media use by children under 16 in Pakistan
PESHAWAR – A petition seeking to ban social media use by children under 16 in Pakistan has been filed in the Federal Constitutional Court, calling for mandatory age verification and stronger safeguards against harmful online content. The petition asks the federal government to introduce legislation that would restrict social media access for children under 16. […]
Pakistan’s First Climate Jirga Held in Peshawar, Calls for Community-Led Climate Action
PESHAWAR—Pakistan’s first “Climate Jirga” was held in Peshawar, bringing together community elders, women, youth, academics, government officials, civil society representatives, NGOs and members of the transgender community to discuss the growing impacts of climate change and locally driven solutions. The dialogue was held at the National Incubation Center (NIC) Peshawar and focused on “Indigenous Climate […]
Groundwater Restoration Strategy: KP’s New Water Security Plan
PESHAWAR – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa launches a groundwater restoration strategy to combat declining water reserves. Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah led a high-level meeting that finalized the province’s plan to address the water crisis through modern, scientific methods. The groundwater restoration strategy makes water storage systems mandatory in every new construction project. All deputy commissioners must […]
Deep Trouble: Why Peshawar’s Vanishing Groundwater Needs an Immediate Lifeline
PESHAWAR – A severe environmental crisis is quietly escalating right beneath the provincial capital. Specifically, new data reveals that the Peshawar groundwater table is dropping at an alarming rate of up to one meter every single year. Consequently, this rapid decline threatens the long-term water security of millions of local residents. The numbers paint a […]
Why the Upcoming Monsoon Afforestation Drive Is Our Last Shield Against Climate Chaos
PESHAWAR – Human history shares an ancient, unbreakable bond with trees. From providing the very oxygen we breathe to anchoring the global economy, forests remain the ultimate lifeline for human survival. Yet, as concrete jungles expand and global temperatures soar, Pakistan finds itself standing at an environmental crossroads. To combat this looming ecological crisis, the […]
The Mirror of Safaid Dheri: How Zaitoon Bano Wrote the Pashtun Woman into History
PESHAWAR—In 1958, a young woman from Safaid Dheri, a village on the outskirts of Peshawar, published a short story titled “Hindara”—The Mirror. It was an unassuming title for what would become a lifetime of creative disruption. Through that narrative, and the decades of fiction that followed, Pashto fiction writer Zaitoon Bano did not offer a […]
Mega Dam Projects in Pakistan: National Strategy for Water Security
The Government of Pakistan has officially prioritized several mega dam projects in Pakistan to build consensus on storage and hydropower infrastructure. This move aims to address the country’s water crisis and climate change threats. Furthermore, officials stated during a meeting chaired by the Secretary of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) that these reservoirs are essential for national […]
KP human rights report flags rise in gender-based violence, harassment
KP human rights report flags rise in gender-based violence, harassment