// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie Stress is everywhere in modern-day Pakistan. Whether it is the weight of household responsibilities, long hours in school and work, financial anxiety, or rising uncertainty in our cities, many people feel emotionally and mentally stretched thin.  Yet despite all these challenges, rather than merely offering relief, a powerful new science is offering something deeper, renewal, growth, and self-discovery. That science is Positive Psychology. Unlike ma

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie In an era of intensifying climate crisis and impacts, we must return to and recover through our indigenous knowledge and practices. In Islamabad, spring can feel like a betrayal. The air looks gentle, even fresh, and the hills in the distance appear washed clean after winter. Yet for many families, this is the season of tight chests, burning eyes, relentless sneezing, and hospital visits that arrive like clockwork. People learn the routines of survi

// Dr. A. A. Quraishy Although the coastal banks in several countries are under threat of pollution and degeneration at various levels, the one on the Arabian sea is one of the worst. It also extends to several ports of India particularly in Gujrat and Maharashtra, but the worst area lies in Pakistan.   It was not as bad up to the late fifties. It was like we see in national geographics. Once right at the level of our feet, on the pier of Keamari where boats put-putted for th

// Mrs. Shahida Kausar Farooq / Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie Pakistan, blessed with a 1,046-kilometer-long coastline along the Arabian Sea, possesses a rich and diverse marine ecosystem that is critical to the country’s economy, environment, and food security. This region is facing a critical crisis which must be addressed immediately to curb the incessant environmental and local community damage that they incur daily. From the bustling commercial hubs of Karachi Port and Port Qas

// Sultan Kiani You have probably come across a recent viral incident in which a Pakistani newspaper published an AI-generated article without even removing the ChatGPT prompt. This is not an isolated workplace blunder. Read on to learn more about using AI safely. The internet is flooded with hilarious memes inspired by real incidents in which people ended up in similar embarrassing situations. Improper use of AI in office work can backfire, sometimes even costing employees t

// Zahrah Nasir For those of you desirous of adding either a glorious splash of vibrant color or a cooling concoction of green to your garden, courtyard, veranda or balcony area, opting for some kind of hanging basket is an excellent choice. And all those organic ‘foodies’ out there: what can be better than increasing your production space by ‘growing on high’?   Hanging baskets do not, necessarily, have to be exactly a traditional basket. But since our garden supply sellers

// Mahvish Chishtie In Pakistan, winter brings its own quiet gifts, including seasonal foods that feel both traditional and timely. One of the most loved is singhara, the water chestnut, sold fresh in heaps at markets and often enjoyed boiled, lightly salted, or added to familiar winter snacks. While many of us grew up eating it simply because it tastes good, singhara also deserves attention as a nourishing, water wise food that fits naturally into healthier winter eating. Wa

// Katherine Johnson As winter temperature drops approach, it is the perfect time to make changes in energy consumption and reducing environmental impact. Winter may seem like a sustainability challenge, but using the right strategies to limit the carbon footprint can be incredibly helpful to the environment. Website and Blog, Better Meets Reality, shares a detailed list of winter sustainability practices. Thermostat:   When you’re out of the house, or asleep, lower the heat

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie Loneliness and homelessness ere largely increasing across the globe, with Pakistan being no exception. We have to address this issue of equity and public health in a meaningful manner.  Late at night in Lahore’s empty railway siding, a former factory worker named Amir sits wrapped in a thin shawl, watching distant headlights slide past the city’s glow. Until six months ago, he enjoyed steady work on the assembly line, a modest rented room, and festi

// Mahvish Chishtie Known in herbal medicine as Tukhme-e-Kahū (تخم کاهو), lettuce seeds are a traditional remedy quietly passed down through generations. Extracted from mature lettuce plants ( Lactuca sativa ), these tiny seeds may not be common in everyday kitchens, but they hold a special place in Unani and Ayurvedic systems for their cooling, sedative, and heart-calming properties. In a world of constant stress, sleeplessness, and digestive woes, this humble seed could be

// Zahrah Nasir Let us begin the New Year by creating a pristine, unblemished, canvas of white, shine-in-the-night flowers, with delightful fragrance as a heady bonus.   White flowers not only glow in the dark and glisten in sunlight, they also introduce a note of classical elegance to any garden. They tend to be magnets for glorious butterflies, honey bees and many exquisite species of night-flying moths.   Fresh and full of the joys of life, white flowers, especially when p

// Dr. Mahjabeen As winter arrives, most of us prepare warm clothes, food supplies, and heated homes. But there is another community quietly preparing for the cold — one that plays a far more vital role in our daily lives than we often realize: the honeybees. Every year, particularly in South Asian countries, wild honeybee nests are destroyed during the onset of winter. Some people do it to collect honey, others out of fear, and many simply because they are unaware of how cri

// Sultan Kiani Here are some safety tips to avoid common legal issues in Pakistan. I recently came across a troubling story about a citizen who narrowly avoided arrest due to a seemingly minor mistake. Sajid (name changed for privacy) described in a Facebook post that he received a call from the local police one day, asking him to report to the police station. He had been accused of issuing a bogus cheque. However, he had never issued any cheque with fraudulent intent; it wa

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie Cities in Pakistan are expanding rapidly, but this urban growth is coming at a serious ecological cost. As concrete replaces soil, garbage outpaces greenery, and trees disappear from neighbourhoods, a quiet imbalance is setting in across the ecosystems of our urban landscapes. While a few animal species, especially crows in urban centers across Pakistan, seem to thrive in this changing environment, many others are disappearing. This article explores

Bricks, Industry, Agriculture, Coal plants, Vehicle Emissions, Air Pollution, WHO,

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie How colonization, industrial expansion, and forgotten indigenous knowledge have shaped a century of ecological decline. It is often said that the wars of the past were fought for land, resources, and power. Yet one war, silent, relentless, and far older than we acknowledge, continues to this day. It is the war against nature itself, a struggle that began over a century ago with colonization and has since been reinforced by rampant capitalism, indust

// Sultan Kiani Subh-e-Nau provided cleaning and greening services across various locations in Islamabad in its pledge to community growth and betterment.

// Fiona Harvey Former European officers say spending on low-carbon power would make nations more resilient to threats from potential aggressors. US military personnel at an energy resilience project in California. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images Investment in renewable energy should be counted under defense expenditure, says a group of retired senior military personnel, because the climate crisis represents a threat to national security. They have called for in

// Mahvish Chishtie Sabudana, also known as sago or tapioca pearls, is a starchy, white, round food item made from the root of the cassava plant (Manihot esculenta). Commonly used during fasting days across South Asia, sabudana is a staple in many kitchens. It is popular for its versatility — it can be used in puddings ( kheer ), khichdi , vada , and even fritters. But sabudana is more than just a light snack or fasting food. Let us explore its nutritional value and how it fi