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Wednesday, May 13, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Execution Met With Silence in Pakistan
Wednesday, Nov. 21, dawned like any other in the sleepy town of Faridkot, located some 150 kilometres from the Punjab capital of Lahore in Pakistan. But as the town’s 3000 residents went about their daily routines the air grew thick with apprehension, for a reason none wanted to mention.
Pakistan Attacks Pneumonia With Free Vaccine
Medical practitioners at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), a leading government-run children’s hospital in Karachi, hope that this will be the last winter they have to treat a stream of children suffering from pneumonia.
Family Planning Skips Millions in Pakistan
Thirty-year-old Shahida Saleem, who was not educated past the tenth grade, is a mother of two, living with her family in Karachi. Six months ago she suffered a miscarriage and her doctor, concerned about her anaemic condition, advised her to space out her next pregnancy by taking contraceptives.
Pakistan Moves to Safeguard Witnesses
Violence and crime are on the rise in Pakistan and none are more at risk than those who witness murders, robberies, abuse or kidnapping first-hand.
India Poised to Supply Free Drugs to 1.2 Billion People
As the northern Indian state of Rajasthan rolls out an ambitious universal healthcare plan, the discontent of the state’s doctors stands in stark contrast to the joys of the 68 million people who will benefit from the scheme.
Little Support for Military Offensive on Af-Pak Border
As shock and outrage over the Taliban’s shooting of young Malala Yousafzai - a female activist - subsides, a new question has begun to make its rounds among political commentators in Pakistan: whether or not the government should launch an offensive against militants along the country’s border with Afghanistan.
Women Are the New ‘Emerging Market’
Empowering women in the business world is not only a smart political decision, but also makes good economic sense.
Pangolin Trade Betrays Apathy for Biodiversity
Conservationists see the decimation of pangolins (scaly anteaters) in Pakistan as a sign of the callousness with which this country’s rich biodiversity is being traded away for commercial gain.
Karachi Gripped by Extortionists
The cost of doing business in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi is steep. Surviving the climate of impunity now requires more than bags of protection money – it also calls for a stoutness of heart.
A Day Off to Riot in Peace
The holiday declared by the Pakistani government on Friday seems to have given free rein for the rioting and killing over the American film that is disrespectful of Prophet Muhammad.
Pakistan Factory Blaze Points to Poor Safety Standards, Corruption
The inferno that killed over 250 people at a garments factory in Karachi’s Baldia Town on Sept. 11 has raised questions over not just poor workplace safety standards in industry but massive corruption in government which leads to the flouting of building laws.
‘Misoprostol – Must for Reducing Maternal Mortality’
“I can’t imagine life without misoprostol,” says Dr. Azra Ahsan, a gynaecologist and obstetrician who has, for more than a decade, been using the controversial drug to stop women from bleeding to death after delivery.
Hazaras in Pakistan Caught Between Persecution and the High Seas
It will be no less than a miracle if Nadir Ali makes it to Australia, where he planned to seek asylum. But with each passing day, since his boat went missing over two months ago, hopes are dimming.
Climate Adaptation Troubles Karachi’s Planners
Climate proofing this bustling port city is a daunting task for planners who must consider factors ranging from proneness to flooding and administrative malaise to the fact that 60 percent of its 18 million people live in slums.
Organ Trafficking Resurfaces in Pakistan
About two months back, 28-year old Asif Ahmed* put up an announcement on the internet to sell one of his kidneys.
Whose Timber is it Anyway?
With Pakistan’s last major stands of deodar (cedar) threatened by a ‘timber mafia’, the local people in the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province are resorting to direct action to stop the denudation of their picturesque alpine homeland.
Why Are Hindus from Pakistan Crossing Over to India?
Narain Das, a cloth merchant from Jacobabad in northern Pakistan, blesses his lucky stars that he has three sons, aged 18, 16 and 12. “If they were daughters, I, too, would seriously be thinking of migrating from here,” he reflects on the lack of protection his community faces.
Ahmadis Lose Hope This Ramadan
As millions around the world enter the third week of the Ramadan fast, the fraternity that typically unites Muslims during the holy month does not extend to Pakistan’s Ahmadi community, which is facing worse persecution than ever before.
Pakistan Faces a ‘Youth Bomb’
“This is just a trailer of the horror that awaits us,” says noted demographer Farid Midhet, referring to Pakistan’s bulging population and the possibly corresponding link to rising crime, including murders, robberies, rioting and extremist activity.
Pakistan Says Goodbye to Refugees Not Leaving
Pakistan faces increased international pressure to extend the stay of Afghan refugees as it seeks to push them back to war-torn Afghanistan.
Birth Control – Roping in Pakistan’s Men
“No scalpel, no stitch and no rest needed,” guarantees Dr. Ghulam Shabbir Sudhayao, referring to the surgical procedure called vasectomy - the least popular method of birth control around the world, including Pakistan.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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