The Notorious Practice of Custodial Torture in Pakistan
Custodial torture, or torture in custody, is often used as a tool by the perpetrators of justice, i.e., law enforcement agencies.
Rida Zaman asserts that these so-called custodians of justice contribute to the waning of the just and fair standards of the criminal justice system.
She also notes that the relevant legislation, the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act, 2023, suffers from procedural and substantive deficiencies.
Pakistan’s Digital Diplomacy: The Foreign Office’s Role in Global Outreach
Pakistan, an emerging nation with a tech-savvy population, has the potential to become a digital powerhouse internationally, and Pakistan’s Foreign Office is essential for nurturing the country’s digital agenda and interests.
Various initiatives like the e-visa system, virtual dashboard, and diplomacy policy have been taken by the foreign office. Despite the progress made in digital diplomacy in Pakistan, there are still some major issues and difficulties that need to be addressed and resolved.
Javeria Saghir believes that a detailed analysis of the challenges facing Pakistan’s e-diplomacy efforts, the impact of Pakistan’s digital diplomacy initiatives, and a comparison of Pakistan’s digital diplomacy with other digitally advanced countries are necessary to realize the country’s full potential.
Pakistan’s AI Journey: Navigating A Rocky Terrain
Sameer Sohail discusses the challenges and obstacles that Pakistan is bound to face in the near future on the job market, the education system and society in general as it develops and deploys its AI systems.
He focuses mainly on the issues associated with AI technologies that would be available to the general public, not the ones designed for military or national security purposes.
Those issues include the government’s poor understanding of the matter, a lack of national AI policy, the alignment problem of AI and the lack of philosophical and critical thinking skills in our youth.
The New Global World Order: Aging Gracefully
The end of the Cold War marked the beginning of American exceptionalism, as we know it now. The three decades following the fall of the Berlin Wall witnessed the capricious acts of the US, from its unilateral wars to blatant violations of other international rules and norms.
However, since the 2007 economic meltdown, the doctrine of American exceptionalism has faced decadence as has the economic growth of the country. Meanwhile, other factors, such as the rise of China, the resurgence of Russia, and the nuclear proliferation of other countries kept on playing their fair share in bringing the world to a multipolar environment.
The Harsh Reality of Child Labor in Pakistan
Millions of children in Pakistan are trapped in the vicious claws of child labor, deprived of a normal life, education, healthcare, and security.
Despite the nationwide ban on child labor and bonded labor – a form of modern-day slavery – their prevalence in Pakistan is a reflection of flawed democracy, poor economic conditions, and exploitative societal norms.
Maryam Ibrahim highlights that child labor not only robs children of their childhood but also hinders their overall development, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.
Raising the Bar—Improving Legal Education in Pakistan
Using his own experience as a law student in a Pakistani university and reflecting on his learnings from a semester spent in the United States, Ali Anwaar attempts to critically evaluate the quality of legal education in Pakistan.
Is our legal education system keeping up with the times? Or is it failing both the students and the society?
The article emphasizes on the need for reform in the legal education system in Pakistan, identifying the issues of outdated curricula, lack of interdisciplinary education and research, and inadequate practical training opportunities.
Ali Anwaar argues that these issues hinder the ability of law graduates to navigate the complexities of the modern legal system, ultimately inhibiting access to law and justice for many people in Pakistan.
The Anatomy of Poverty Traps: Pakistan’s Quest for Economic Liberation
Since its independence, Pakistan has been stuck in an endless loop of poverty, experiencing the same economic and political challenges on repeat. Hajra Zahid addresses the pivotal question of what makes this loop unbreakable.
By applying Paul Collier’s description of four development traps to the case study of Pakistan, she exemplifies the role of internal conflicts, natural resources, border hostilities, and bad governance in keeping the state entrenched in poverty.
For a more comprehensive understanding of the complexities at play, she identifies several other traps that have been glossed over and suggests how to break the curse.
Honoring the White Part of the Flag: Contributions of Pakistani Christians
Contributions by the Pakistani Christians have been overlooked by the mainstream media, but they remain a proud collective memory of the community.
Eman Nawab points that while plenty of literature can be found on the struggles of the Christian community, it is very rare to come across literature acknowledging their contributions in the national development.
Eman Nawab aims to fill that space by acknowledging and listing their roles in the development of Pakistan.
2023 Summer Season in Pakistan
Throughout this article, you will be guided on a virtual tour of the best summer activities to engage in and the most captivating destinations to visit during the summer months in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s summer season presents a chance to visit breathtaking destinations like Gilgit-Baltistan and its enchanting Attabad Lake as well as waterfalls in Neelum Valley and Swat Valley.
We also extend an invitation for you to be a part of our internship program, where you can share your experiences, hone your writing skills, and inspire others to embark on their own learning journeys.
Eid-ul-Adha 2023: A Celebration of Faith, Sacrifice, and Unity
In this article, you will explore the historical background of Eid-ul-Adha, the date and month of this celebration as well as the cultural practices of this festival.
Gain a deeper understanding of this Muslim festival by learning its origins, its observance across different regions, the rules governing it, and why it holds immense importance for the Muslim community.
Pakistan’s Federal Budget Process: Unlocking Efficiency and Accountability
Since Pakistan’s federal government has recently introduced the federal budget 2023-24, Malik Mashhood focuses on the flaws in Pakistan’s budget-making process and the necessary reforms required to correct it.
In exploring the current system, he also directs our attention to the budget process in India and South Korea as a way to enhance the effectiveness and transparency of the process.
Losing My Mine-d: The Dubious Cases of Reko Diq, Saindak, & Khewra
Blessed with copious amounts of natural resources, Pakistan presents perhaps one of the worst cases of resource management in South Asia. Sarmad Ishfaq assesses how mismanagement, obscured policies and agreements, and corruption have undermined the potential of the Khewra Salt Mines, Reko Diq, and the Saindak Copper-Gold Mine. Additionally, the absence of a regulatory framework, especially concerning the Himalayan salt trade, has facilitated illegal practices and unsustainable resource exploitation, ultimately harming Pakistan’s economy.
The Future of Pakistan’s IT Industry: Challenges and Prospects
IT exports from Pakistan have witnessed exponential growth, from $1.44 billion in FY 2019-20 to $1.7 billion in FY 2020-21, and then finally crossing the 2 billion mark in FY 2021-22.
While the government has made a move to create National Incubation Centers (NICs) for promising entrepreneurs, the IT industry still lags behind.
Zahra Kashif attributes this slump to inadequate broadband infrastructure, the gap between education and skills, and the lack of IT parks and an R&D setup, among others.
Explainer: Exchange Rate
Confused about exchange rates? This explainer breaks down everything you need to know. From how these rates work, to the difference between open market and interbank rates.
The exchange rate of a country depends on varying factors and elements. However, the elements generally used to determine the value of a currency include market forces, banks, and government caps.
Tug of War Between Central Governments and Supreme Courts in Pakistan and India
Muhammad Shaheer Mahmood discusses the uncanny similarities in both the constitutional and political discourse in India and Pakistan.
Despite their longstanding hostility, both countries find themselves entangled in a web of mistrust between their respective centers and the Supreme Courts.
These intriguing coincidences send us down a fascinating path fraught with power struggles, legislative interventions, and the slow erosion of institutional trust.
The Propaganda War Between India and Pakistan Post-Pulwama
After the Pulwama attack in India, tensions between both Pakistan and India rose rapidly. The escalation eventually culminated in an aerial dogfight where an Indian MiG-21 was downed by Pakistan and its pilot, Abhinandan, captured.
To save face, India began a propaganda campaign claiming that a Pakistani F-16 was downed by India. This led to a massive war of words between both countries characterized by lies, jingoism, hyperbole, and nationalism.
While both countries’ media were to be blamed for the preceding, the Indian media was more culpable for displaying such negative traits. Eventually, this propaganda war was settled by international news agencies and organizations that corrected many false Indian claims, especially the one relating to the alleged downed Pakistani F-16.
The final nail in the coffin was when a US inventory check asserted that no Pakistani F-16s were missing and therefore Pakistan came out as the victor in the dogfight as well as the propaganda war.
The Role of Hydropolitics in Pakistan’s Water Crisis
Ayesha Javaid discusses how Pakistan has been embroiled in politics over water resources since its independence – at both local and international levels.
Pakistan and India initially had disagreements over the Indus Basin, which was finally settled by the Indus Water Treaty in 1960. However, with India now demanding modifications in the 62-year-old treaty, serious water-based conflicts between the two countries are a likely possibility.
Pakistan also faces water troubles within, as provincial governments have failed to reach an agreement over the much-needed construction (& even usage) of dams.
