April 2003

The Kunar Forest, one of Afghanistan's national treasures, has been devastated by timber thieves who have stripped it of nearly half its viable stocks and shipped the booty to Pakistan for export to the Gulf and Europe. . . . Read More

PESHAWAR: The decades-old tradition of green tea houses is slowly dying in the provincial metropolis, thanks to rapid progress-driven changes in the City's landscapes. . . . Read More

PESHAWAR: Wazir Bagh Peshawar, a legendary historical place of 18th century is weeping on its haplessness and waning past glory due to the callous approach of the people and the responsible authorities. . . . Read More

Regarded as the Ameerul Mo'mineen. He belonged to Maiwand, Qandahar and was aged 37. His education was obtained from Qandahar Madrassa. During Jehad against the Russians, he had lost one eye during a battle. Mullah Omar is a Ghilzai Hotak. . . . Read More

Today's election may have been one of an ordinary elections being conducted in Pakistan for the last 50 or so years for other provinces. It however was not that simple for Pukhtuns. Today, Pukhtuns proved their strong association with Islam by voting for Muttahida Majlasi Amal (MMA) and rejected secular, communist and all other ideologies very openly and decisively. . . . Read More

The sweeping victory of the clergy under the banner of Muttahida Majlis e Amal (MMA) in the last general polls in the NWFP and parts of Balochistan has rocked the wisdom of nationalist leaders who failed to comprehend the changing dynamics of Pashtun politics. . . . Read More

The term "Northern Areas of Pakistan", was unknown before 1947 but its geographic entity existed separately apart from Kashmir, or a little-known word "Kashir", which actually means "The Land of Saffron"--a fragrance so well extracted from musk deer that even now roam about in Deosai Plane. . . . Read More

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So Che Da Zmaka o Asman WiSo Che Da Jahan Wadan Wee So Che Jowand Pa De Jahan Wee So Che Pati Yaw Afghan Wee Tel Ba Da Afghanistan Wee . . . Read More

The British came to rule over India. They came through sea, covering almost thousands of knots. They landed in Southern India and slowly and steadily began to expand in all directions. As soon as they came in contact with Northern Indians, they were amazed at the similarity of some words with their mother tongue. . . . Read More

The dilemma of the Pashto Literature in Pakistan is that of the Pashtoon nation and its merger in Pakistan under British Colonial Framework. Pashtoons, originally a Central Asian stock, is spread over in Pashtunkhwa (the land of the Pashtoons) lying between rivers Oxus and Indus. The culture of Pashtunkhwa – a synthesis at least in its essence of the great humanistic ideals of Zoroastra, Greco-Bactria, Gandhara, and Islam – all integrated in the traditional tribal secular code of the Pashtoons – Pashtunwali. . . . Read More

Poetry, says Wordsworth, is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge. It is the impassioned expression of the soul and poets were there first on the scene even before the birth of all the major civilizations of the world. Therefore not strangely the Pakhtoons who have a long history, full of sound and fury, also produced men and women with a finer quality of lofty imagination and creativity. . . . Read More

The ravages of the decade-long armed conflict in Afghanistan between the Soviets and anti-communist forces were not confined to Afghanistan. Rather, its ill effects spilled over to neighboring countries. One effected country of note was Pakistan, which was used as a base for war activities. Pakistan served as a home to arms depots and camps for training guerillas, and as a passageway for logistic supplies and other activities for the co-ordination of the war effort. . . . Read More

The NWFP assembly at long last, passed the historic resolution on November 13, calling for naming this nameless province of Pakistan as Pakhtunkhwa. This day and event will be included as a golden chapter in the long and turbulent history of Pakhtuns, for which the provincial assembly deserves gratitude. The North West Frontier Province is not a name but identification of a geographical locality. . . . Read More

Trading has been at the centre of the Frontier's economy since time immemorial. It assumed added significance during the Durrani empire both because the Pakhtoons were for the first time able to operate from their own national state and because the rising power of Russia during the early nineteenth century opened new prospects of trade between India, Central Asia and the Middle East. . . . Read More

NWFP has a genuine right to claim major portion of royalty from the Ghazi Barotha Hydel Project (GBHP) as its major components consisting of Tarbela reservoir. Ghazi barrage, its 7 mile long pond on the upstream and about 20 km of power channel are all located in NWFP. These vital components form the Head Works Complex of the project to produce hydropower. . . . Read More

Integrating stakeholders: The construction of Kalabagh Dam involved stakeholders of local provincial governments whom expressed their dissatisfaction towards the adverse impacts of the dam. Hence, the project is still under consideration because it has not received unanimous support. . . . Read More

On 11th June, 1998 the Government of Pakistan announced the construction of Kalabagh Dam at a time when the international debate on dams favoured costs and benefits scrutiny of amega hydropower projects. There is a growing realization that pro-dam rhetoric -large dams are a source of energy generation, flood control mechanism and regulated irrigation network---needs to be verified and weighed against its adverse impacts on environment and the society. . . . Read More

Marble is one of the most valued of the natural resources bestowed on the North West Frontier Province. There are vast reserves found in several pockets of the province which constitute 97 per cent of the country's total 160 million ton deposits (found so far) of this crystalline compact variety of metamorphosed limestone consisting primarily of calcite, dolomite or a combination of both the minerals. . . . Read More

The picturesque Malakand and Hazara divisions of the NWFP are known for their lush green pastures, snow-white resounding waterfalls, steady streams, vociferous rivers flowing amidst the foot-hills of steep peaks some of which offer the world's most fascinating tracking opportunities. They have something more to offer. . . . Read More

INDUSTRIAL ESTATE PESHAWAR, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan . . . Read More

NWFP's marble reserves which constitute 97 per cent of the country's total deposits can well earn US $ 40m annually only through exports against the US $ 4m exports done in 1997. According to official estimates the figure of US $ 40m could well be achieved in three years time and the sector could fetch much more than that if organized, and exploited with a comprehensive market strategy. . . . Read More

Before presenting my remarks about Pashtoon Culture, I would like to say a few elementary things about Culture itself. The term "Culture" is in a sense a contemporary term and before 19th century, this term was not very vivid in the consciousness of the writers. However, this term has acquired great popularity during the past two centuries. . . . Read More

The Pukhtoons are chiefly employed in agriculture but their agricultural pursuits are limited owing to the lack of culturable land. The patches of cultivable land in hilly tracts and some open valleys do not produce sufficient food-grains to meet their food requirements. In addition to tilling the available land, tribesmen tend cattle, including herds of goats and sheep, camels and cows. . . . Read More