ICRC, PRCS host global conference to restore family links in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in collaboration with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), hosted the Global Conference on Restoring Family Links (RFL) at the PRCS National Headquarters in Islamabad. The event focused on reconnecting families separated due to international migration and other humanitarian crises. Following successful editions in 2021 […]
Rising threat of e-cigarettes and new nicotine products in Pakistan
Pakistan’s youth face a growing danger as the tobacco industry shifts its focus from conventional cigarettes and smokeless tobacco like naswar and gutka to new nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and vapes. These products are often sold with colorful packaging and sweet flavors, marketed as “safer alternatives,” a narrative that appeals to curious and impressionable teenagers. […]
Fake CNIC scam uncovered as Afghan refugees exploit old policy in KP
PESHAWAR – A fake CNIC scam has been uncovered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Afghan refugees are accused of exploiting loopholes in the country’s decades-old refugee policy to illegally obtain identity cards. Investigations in Peshawar and adjoining tribal districts revealed that Afghan nationals allegedly secured Pakistani Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) by submitting forged documents. These […]
Water Reservoirs in Pakistan: Between Rhetoric And Reality
In a recent meeting at Narowal to review the devastation caused by floods, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described climate change as the greatest challenge of our time. He declared the construction of Water Reservoirs in Pakistan essential to mitigate its impact. Alongside new projects, he emphasized the need to enhance the storage capacity of existing […]
Transgender community in KP faces rising violence, HIV stigma
PESHAWAR – The fan turns lazily above Farzana Jan’s head, scattering the heavy Peshawar air but doing little to ease the weight she carries. A chipped teacup sits untouched beside her on the floor. Draped in a plain cotton shawl, she leans forward, her voice calm but edged with exhaustion. “The transgenders community in KP […]
Cheap Tobacco, Heavy Toll: A Crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
PESHAWAR – In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, naswar — a cheap, smokeless tobacco — is found in the pockets of almost every third man and many boys. For a few rupees, shopkeepers tear open thumb-sized plastic sachets and pour the fine brown grit into waiting palms. By afternoon, the marks are everywhere, drying like old blood. The […]