Day: October 20, 2021

In a final showing of character, Abdul Qadeer (AQ) Khan made sure his funeral was planned out with meticulous detail. Handwritten on time-stamped, headed paper, the Indian Subcontinent’s own “Dr Strangelove” contacted Professor Dr Muhammad Al-Ghazali – a sitting judge on Pakistan’s Supreme Court – with instructions of how he wished his Salat Al-Janazah, or funeral prayer, to be performed: “You are required to lead my funeral prayers (at H.8 graveyard). If it is a holiday, then preferably after Zuhr prayer at Faisal Mosque. If it is a working day, then preferably after Asr prayer at Faisal Mosq… Continue reading “Patriot, pariah, Pakistani: The legend of AQ Khan”

By Maria Tsvetkova MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia increased pressure on the Taliban on Wednesday to create an inclusive government representing a broad spectrum of Afghan society, as it hosted their new administration at a major conference for the first time since they took power. Pakistan, China, Iran, India and former Soviet Central Asian states joined Taliban officials at the Moscow meeting. The United States stayed away, citing technical reasons. With Afghanistan facing economic collapse and a humanitarian catastrophe, Moscow called for international aid to support Kabul, conscious that any spil… Continue reading “Russia presses Taliban to open up government, calls for Afghan aid”

Russia on Wednesday recognised Taliban efforts to try and stabilise the situation in Afghanistan but expressed concern that “terrorist” groups threatened the stability of the entire region. Russia is hosting the Taliban for talks as the Kremlin seeks to assert its influence on Central Asia and push for action against Islamic State fighters which it says have massed in the perennially volatile country. The talks are one of the Taliban’s most high-profile international meetings since seizing power in mid-August. “A new administration is in power now,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told … Continue reading “Russia ‘notes’ Taliban ‘efforts to stabilise’ Afghanistan”

When Greta Thunberg began to skip school to strike for climate action three years ago, no-one would have predicted the movement would grow the way that it did. With the likes of Kherann Yao, Alexandra Villasenor, and Satvhiga ‘Sona’ Sridhar leading conversations around climate action in each corner of the world, the climate action movement is being led by young people in a way that other social justice movements have rarely seen. But with this fast growing participation of young people in protesting for climate action and demanding change, comes the question – what is the role global youth pla… Continue reading “The Last Earthlings: Cleaning up Karachi’s beaches”

Many of the works of art by the eight finalists of the Jameel Prize for design inspired by Islamic tradition either make a political statement or pay tribute to a loved one who has made an impact on the designers’ lives. Their unique creations are brought together in a fascinating exhibition Jameel Prize: Poetry to Politics at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum which includes graphic design, fashion, typography, textiles, printmaking and architecture. In an 18 minute video, each designer (Golnar Adili from Iran, Hadeyeh Badri from the UAE, Kallol Datta from India, Farah Fayyad from Lebanon, A… Continue reading “Jameel Prize: ‘Poetry to Politics’ exhibited at V&A museum”

Afghanistan is a rugged country of great beauty straddling Asia and Europe, and it has been the scene of warfare and contestation for decades. The Taliban, a group connected to extreme violence, especially in the late 1990s, emerged as the power in control of Afghanistan recently, due to the void left by outsiders. This is their second time in power and the world can remember all too well that from the mid-1990s until 2001, their rule at the time was harsh and brutal, especially in their clampdown on the rights of women and girls. The latter suffered immensely from a lack of access to school, … Continue reading “Advocating for Afghan girls’ education”