In the Foucauldian sense, the state’s ultimate power lies not in law, but in the management of life and death – in deciding who may live “freely” and who must be regulated, watched, and, to the best of its intentions, contained. This week, the Punjab government, displaying a meritorious sense
Who Does the Dishes? She posts a Women’s Day story with a quote by Audre Lorde. Then she clears the table. Her brother is still scrolling in the lounge. No one expects him to rinse even his own glass. This is where feminism in a desi household splits into two
For as long as anyone can remember, saying no has been a social sin. So much so, in fact, that it has become one of those things that doesn’t discriminate between genders. Though—like everything else—society has two different methods of exercising control over each. For men, it becomes a guilt
Meaning Ignorance of the law excuses no one. Explanation A person cannot avoid legal responsibility by claiming lack of knowledge about the law. Example Constructing a building without required permits is unlawful, even if the builder was unaware of the regulations. Importance Being informed of the law is essential, as
Provision: Right to Property Every citizen shall have the right to acquire, hold, and dispose of property in any part of Pakistan, subject to the Constitution and any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the public interest. Meaning: Article 23 guarantees the right of every citizen to legally own and
Why did I write it down? In order to remember. Of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to remember? How much of it actually happened? Did any of it? Why do I keep a notebook at all? Although I have felt compelled to write these things down since
تم اپنے عقیدوں کے نیزے ہر دل میں اتارے جاتے ہو ہم لوگ محبت والے ہیں تم خنجر کیوں لہراتے ہو اس شہر میں نغمے بہنے دو بستی میں ہمیں بھی رہنے دو ہم پالنہار ہیں پھولوں کے ہم خوشبو کے رکھوالے ہیں تم کس کا لہو پینے آئے ہم
i’ve been eating poetry again. you can tell from the ink on the edges of the cutting board, from the way the cumin spills beside commas. i forget what i came here to cook. the counter is stained with metaphors. a bookmark sticks to the butter knife. sometimes, i
The decorations have decked every room in your house—strings of marigolds and fairy lights cascade down the walls, people are coming and going, and the hustle and bustle of shaadi prep has taken over all the women in your family. It’s a sensory fever dream. You’re sitting at a dholki,
In the villages of Punjab, Heer wasn’t read. She was remembered. Her story lived in the mehfils, echoed from the mouths of old men under peepal trees, and spilt from the dhol of the fakir walking barefoot down dusty roads. She wasn’t something to be adapted. She was something to
Dear Reader, Welcome to Pakistani society — where roti, kapra, aur makaan remain elusive for the common man, women struggle with domestic violence, and floods swallow entire cities. Amidst these crises, Pakistani men, too, suffer a grave injustice: their masculinity is in peril. Almost endangered — like a house of cards blown
In a bid to progress digitally, the government of Pakistan has introduced digitisation of many different tools for the general public. One example is City Islamabad, an application that allows online tax payment, among other features. However, behind the narrative of digital progress lies a dark reality: state-backed apps are
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is
Provision: Safeguards as to Educational Institutions in Respect of Religion No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship if it relates to a religion other than their own. Religious communities are allowed to establish
Provision: Safeguard Against Taxation for Purposes of Any Particular Religion No person shall be compelled to pay any special tax the proceeds of which are to be spent on the propagation or maintenance of any religion other than his own. Meaning: Article 21 protects individuals from being forced to financially
On the plane I have a dream I’ve left half my torso on the back porch with my beloved. I have to go back for it, but it’s too late, I’m flying and there’s only half of me. Back in Texas, the flowers I’ve left on the
What if political and social decadence reaches our doors and we find our feet taking their last steps towards any real moral, social, or political elevation? Look at the lines of a female student from the University of the Punjab at a recent scholarship distribution programme: “My father, a retired
The majority of individuals belonging to the so-called “Islamic Republic of Pakistan” have, at least once in their lives, been forced to adapt to the precepts of Islam. The culture of imposing the mother religion on one’s offspring has been in practice since time immemorial. Following the lineage of these
A young man walked down the corridor of the Prime Minister’s House in December 1974, carrying the secrets of one of the world’s most notorious and controversial inventions—one that even its original inventor came to regret. Abdul Qadeer Khan, often hailed as the face of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, is not
JT: Thank you for speaking with Jarida Today, SSP Sahib. To begin, could you tell us a bit about your background and what drew you to the police force? SSP Muhammad Naveed: I’m Muhammad Naveed, currently serving as SSP Investigation, Lahore. I joined the Police Service of Pakistan in 2007
How did the language of Faiz Ahmed Faiz — the poet whose verses echo across continents, whose words have been translated into dozens of languages — become something we punish children for speaking in schools? How did the language sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, whose voice brought tears to
In the spring of 1929, while the Roaring Twenties danced its last waltz and jazz spilled from speakeasies across America, a quiet bay colt with a name like poetry—Blue Larkspur—stepped onto the racetrack and changed everything. He wasn’t flashy. He wasn’t temperamental. He didn’t come with drama. But he came
If you find yourself half naked and barefoot in the frosty grass, hearing, again, the earth’s great, sonorous moan that says you are the air of the now and gone, that says all you love will turn to dust, and will meet you there, do not raise your fist. Do
Provision: Freedom to Profess Religion and Manage Religious Institutions Every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion. Every religious denomination and every sect thereof shall have the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions. These rights are subject to law, public order, and
Margaret Atwood once suggested that much of the world operates as an extension of male desire and its appetite for control. Male idealisation might not be an absolute product of postcolonial identity crises, but it has certainly been aggravated by the white man who once stood on Indian soil and
Provision: Freedom of Speech Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press. This right is subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam, the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan,
I grew up wearing stories that didn’t fit— hand-me-down myths, fraying at the seams, patched too many times to keep the cold out. My mother told me tales she no longer believed in. I listened anyway, collecting names of dead heroes like heirlooms, like they might protect me from
On the night of 7 May, India launched missile strikes at nine different locations in Pakistan under the codename Operation Sindoor. What followed was a four-day military conflict between the two countries. These four days were pivotal for Pakistan—her safety, her future, and her people. Each day, Instagram was flooded
It is apparent that the guarantee of citizens’ right to vote in 1991 remains one of the key obstacles to Bangladesh’s democracy. The functionality of democracy within the nation’s borders is fraught with a myriad of problems across every aspect. Different kinds of trust and responsibility with regard to voting
When someone says “education”, most people think of grades, degrees, and—eventually—a job. That’s the narrative we’ve all heard: study hard so you can get a good job, earn a living, and survive. But what if I told you that education isn’t just about survival—it’s about becoming fully alive? Think about
The morning air was crisp at Newmarket, the training ground of champions. The sky, still painted in shades of deep blue and orange, held the promise of a new day. The mist clung to the grass, rolling lazily over the gallops as the rhythmic sound of hooves echoed through the
I was watching a clip from the movie Ratatouille some days ago when I thought I should revisit classic Disney movies from the 1990s decade. They have some amazing lessons of hope, strength, perseverance, and keeping a positive mindset during difficulties that I needed at this time of my life.
