Author: Farwa Imtiaz

I am a Pashtun girl, born and raised in Peshawar, where the echoes of Pashtunwali, our ancient code of honor, family loyalty, and resilience, still shape the rhythm of daily life. My father taught me that a daughter’s strength is quiet but unbreakable, yet even then I have felt the weight of a culture that sometimes values sons more visibly. Across the border in Afghanistan, that weight has become a cruel necessity under Taliban regime. When I read the NPR report published on March 9, 2026, about young girls being turned into “bacha posh”, literally “dressed like a boy”, my…

In July 2024, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior took a decisive theological and strategic step as it officially renamed the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK). It is not a term used metaphorically; it is a term used with precision. The Khawarij of the 7th century revolted against the rightly guided Caliph Ali (RA) and declared other Muslims apostates. They justified the murders they committed in the name of purity. FAK today does the same thing with the same justification but with addition of suicide vests, extortion rackets, and safe havens in Afghanistan. They call it ‘jihad,’ but the reality…

The global level of cyber threats is increasing, and it is putting countries in a battle of both technological capacity and regulatory outlook. In 2026, the two largest economies in South Asia acknowledged cyber risk as being systemic, but their reaction is sharply different in terms of strategic coherence. Pakistan instituted, through the State Bank of Pakistan, a nationwide cyber resilience framework called Cyber Shield under Vision 2028. The move makes cybersecurity a part of financial governance, and it is an indication that digital transformation will come with institutional fortification. India, in comparison, is less centralized in its developing cyber…