// Yasmin Elahi Every summer, many families in Pakistan feel the same pressure building up. Rooms heat up early in the day, nights stay warm, electricity bills rise, and power cuts turn discomfort into distress. In Karachi, humidity makes heat feel heavier. In Lahore and Rawalpindi, heat mixes with dust and smog. In Islamabad, shrinking green cover and fast construction are changing the city’s comfort. When a country is getting hotter, eco-living is not about being trendy. It

// SN Report In a focused meeting aimed at strengthening public well-being through healthy lifestyles, Mr. Rana Sana Ullah Khan, Federal Minister for Sports, met with Mrs. Shahida Kausar Farooq, the Subh-e-Nau Chairperson and the magazine’s Chief Editor earlier in 2026, to discuss practical ways to expand sport participation across Pakistan as a long-term public health strategy.  Chairperson Subh-e-Nau, Madam Shahida Kausar Farooq (left) in discussion with Honorable Minister

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie There is a particular kind of commitment that does not announce itself loudly, one that shows up year after year, through institutional challenges and security crises and the indifference of a cricket-obsessed public, simply because the work matters. That is the story of Subh-e-Nau and tennis in Pakistan. And on April 13, 2026, that story enters a significant new chapter with the organisation's hosting of an ITF Junior Tennis circuit event, the late

// Zahrah Nasir Take another look at that difficult, almost impossible to brighten up, shady spot in the garden or in the darkest corner of the balcony where very little natural light manages to penetrate and imagine it bursting with eye-catching Hostas in all of their variegated glory with, this is an added bonus, a burst of white, blue, lavender or pink blossom when the time is right and you have the reliable answer to what was formerly a problem. Hostas Hostas, native to C

// Mehreen Khan Bajra, or pearl millet, is not new to Pakistan. It has long been part of rural food culture, especially in drier regions where wheat can be harder to grow and where people value foods that keep the body warm and satisfied.   What is new is the modern health conversation around bajra. As Pakistan faces rising diabetes, heart disease, and micronutrient deficiencies, pearl millet is being re-discovered as a nutrient-dense grain that can support better everyday ea

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie Mobile phones have become Pakistan’s most common tool for nearly everything. We use them for banking, schoolwork, family calls, navigation, deliveries, photos, and social media. That convenience is real. But there is a quiet safety problem hidden inside it. The more we use mobile phones automatically, the more we start using them at the worst possible times, in traffic, late at night, and during moments that require full attention. This month’s Safe

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie Pakistan’s biggest cities are growing upward and outward, but they are not growing wiser. Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad are becoming hotter, noisier, more flood-prone, and more stressful to live in, even when new flyovers, new housing schemes, and new commercial plazas look impressive from above. We are building more, yet many families feel less secure in the most basic ways: safe air to breathe, tolerable indoor temperatures, reliable

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie / Aleem Chaudhary For many of us, Islamabad has always been more than a capital city. It has felt like a promise. Neat sectors, cool breezes from the Margalla Hills, tree lined streets and open spaces once suggested that a different kind of urban life was possible in Pakistan. Karachi, in contrast, has long carried the image of a city pushed to its limits: overcrowded, overbuilt and constantly struggling with pollution, water shortages and heat.   T

// Sultan Kiani Recreational activities are essential for healthy living, as they relieve stress and contribute to overall well-being. The choice of leisure activities varies; some people pick easy and relaxing hobbies, while thrill seekers prefer adventurous activities. Nothing in the world is entirely risk-free, so it is important to identify common hazards to stay safe.   Always wear appropriate safety gear as required Recreational activities are important; however, some m

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie Ramazan returns every year as a guest that rearranges our whole routine. We eat differently, sleep differently, and even speak differently when we are mindful.   The holy month of Ramazan is here. In the Qur’an, Allah links fasting directly with inner growth:   “O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was for those before you, so that you may become mindful of Allah.”   Wellness in Ramazan is therefore not only about detox diets or weight

// Mehreen Khan Buckwheat atta (buckwheat flour) has quietly moved from health shops into ordinary kitchens. It appears in rotis, pancakes, porridge, and mixed flours, often promoted as “gluten free” and “diabetic friendly.” Behind the marketing, there is real science worth knowing.  Buckwheat is not actually a wheat at all, but a pseudocereal seed that is naturally gluten free, rich in fibre, minerals, and plant compounds such as rutin and other flavonoids. For families tryi

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie On moonlit winter nights along the Arabian Sea, a heavy shape rises from the surf at Sandspit or Daran Beach. She is a green turtle, Chelonia mydas, a creature that has crossed oceans for decades and now returns, with ancient precision, to the strip of sand that first received her.   Slowly, painfully, the green turtle drags her weight above the tide line, scoops a flask-shaped nest with her back flippers, and begins to lay a clutch of soft, white e

// Aleem Chaudhary On the night of January 17, 2026, the skyline of Karachi was stained by a column of black smoke so dense it blotted out the lights of the M.A. Jinnah Road corridor. Gul Plaza, a sprawling commercial fortress that had stood for decades as a nodal point of Pakistan’s wholesale trade, was burning. What began as a flicker in a shop selling artificial flowers metastasized into a catastrophe that has permanently scarred the city’s consciousness. By the time the c

// Natricia Duncan Omar Yaghi’s invention uses ambient thermal energy and can generate up to 1,000 litres of clean water every day. Prof Omar Yaghi, seen here testing a prototype in California’s Death Valley, grew up in a refugee community in Jordan. Photograph: Atoco A Nobel laureate’s environmentally friendly invention that provides clean water if central supplies are knocked out by a hurricane or drought could be a life saver for vulnerable islands, its founder says. The i

// Zahrah Nasir There is so much convoluted myth and mystery attached to cultivating grapevines that many people are put off before they ever get started on what is actually a very simple task. It would be fair to say that grapevines are one of the easiest of all fruiting vines to grow, and this includes right here in Pakistan. Quite irrespective of the area of this incredibly climatically diverse country in which you live, grapevines should be an integral part of your home o

// Dr. Farrukh A. Chishtie Microplastics are fast becoming a dangerous public health threat. This comprehensive cover story provides essential information and action items to safeguard your health. Plastic is woven into daily life in Pakistan. It wraps our groceries, carries our drinking water, lines takeaway meals, covers schoolbooks, and shows up in the thin bags that drift along streets and waterways. We notice plastic when it blocks a drain, burns in a rubbish pile, or ga

// Isabella Kaminski Legal action has brought important decisions, from the scrapping of fossil fuel plants to revised climate plans. Businesses and governments alike have been forced to make tangible changes to their plans. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris agreement. It is also a decade since another key moment in climate justice, when a state was ordered for the first time to cut its carbon emissions faster to protect its citiz

// Sara Ali As the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible, embracing eco-friendly living is no longer optional—it’s essential. Living in harmony with nature means making deliberate choices that reduce our carbon footprint and promote sustainability. This article offers practical strategies for adopting a greener lifestyle. These tips complement tree-planting initiatives, showing how individual actions can collectively create a healthier planet. Let’s explore ho

// Dr. Mahjabeen Farooqui Across Pakistan and South Asia, the desire for rapid weight loss has led to a growing reliance on over-the-counter weight loss supplements, herbal mixtures, imported slimming pills, and social-media-promoted “fat burners.” What are the hidden dangers and how can we find safe ways to reduce fat? Fat loss products are often marketed as natural, safe, and effortless alternatives to exercise and dietary change. However, from a public health perspective,