By Zafar Iqbal The tangible impacts of climate change are now witnessed even in those areas of South Asian region which are considered as habitat of ecosystem due to the abundance of natural resources. Like other areas of world, the weather pattern in Kashmir has changed so much so that people are experiencing in chilly [...]

By Zafar Iqbal Recent surge of violence in both parts of contentious state of Jammu and Kashmir has fuelled the concerns about the expansion of Taliban network in the Himalayan region. Despite significant increase of terrorist operations in India and Pakistan during the last few years, Jammu and Kashmir remained relatively a peaceful zone. The [...]

Zafar Iqbal The election of Northern Areas Legislative Assembly has completed the most considerable constituent of the Constitutional Package enforced by the Government of Pakistan to empower the local population in Pakistan Controlled Gilgit-Baltistan region, however, allegations of massive procedural irregularities, government interference and rigging have been levelled against the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) [...]

By Zafar Iqbal  The people of Pakistan controlled Giglit Baltistan are going to exercise their right of vote  to elect  24 members of Legislative Assembly on November 12, This significant move is component of a contested Constitutional package-“ Gilgit- Baltistan  Empowerment and Self governance Order-2009 ” enforced by Government of Pakistan, which, amid strong criticism [...]

By Zafar Iqbal Iran is amongst those unfortunate countries of the Middle East where authoritarian regimes frequently use unyielding measures to gag the press in order to prevent free flow of information. Media watchdog Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index puts Iran at number 152 out of 173 countries. The Freedom House 2009 Report ranked [...]

By Zafar Iqbal   Journalists in Pakistani city Lahore are facing manhandling and attacks by lawyers who are furious on telecasting videos on TV channels in which   lawyers were shown beating up police officials.  Local press reports that the mobs of lawyers’ thrashed journalists broke their cameras and DSNG vans and used offensive language against them [...]

By Zafar Iqbal The uppermost court in Azad Jammu and Kashmir has banned the publication of news about it without its permission. All editors and media publishers in Pakistan and its part of Kashmir  received an order from the Supreme Court that they can not publish any matter about the court, except  issued by the  [...]

By Zafar Iqbal Email: zafarjournalisl@gmail.com The shattered hopes of one and half million Kashmiris living in the earth-quake affected areas have again lifted by the heartening news of a recent agreement signed between China and Pakistan in order to reconstruct and rehabilitate three major cities of Pakistan controlled Kashmir. The billions dollars project termed “build [...]

Describing the life and views of an editor, the writer explains how journalists cope with permanent fear and threats of security agencies and Taliban in war -crippled Pakistan.   On superficial glance, he seems to have nexus with Taliban, or a Taliban commander with long disheveled beard on face and traditional Swati cap on head. No [...]