There is a good chance that you have never heard of Bishop John Joseph but in Pakistan, for the country’s Christians at least, he is a hero. On 6 May, Pakistani Christians reflected in their own quiet way the 14 years that have passed since this fearless defender of the faith shot himself in a final

The Bengal’s Famine of 1943 which claimed around four million people, till date it is recorded as the worst food disaster in the world. The historians believe that its impact haunted India even after Independence so food security and public distribution system was at the top priority in the free Na

On one hand the Indian Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) needs to be complimented for making tuberculosis (TB) a notifiable disease, but on the other hand there are words of caution and oft-repeated list of actions RNTCP should consider to reach the unreached populations who need TB serv

Despite stiff resistance from orthodox people, some educated women in the Upper Sindh are silently struggling to bring about a significant social change in their area. Pursuing their goal of protecting women’s rights, women from conservative districts like, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore-Kandhkot, K

According to the The Global Asthma Report 2011, published by The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC): Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children and also affects millions of adult

Politics is a legal mafia, as quoted by the schizophrenic Nana Patekar in one of his movies. I didn’t believe that in the start and instead always associated politics to the service of mankind but now after watching to the disastrous wash out of country’s possessions by the PPP government has impell

"The last remedy under the present circumstances is that one and all rise against this conspiracy [partition of India] as one man. Let there be a common Hindu-Muslim Revolution…it is time that we should sacrifice…in order to uphold Truth, Honour and Justice.” ¯ Allama Mashriqi, 1947
Repeated justif

Saudi Arabia is the holiest land for almost all Muslims and may be for some non-Muslims as well because many holy places including “Khana Kaba” are located there. Khana Kaba has a very long history. According to the Holy Quran, Khana Kaba is the home of God and it was built by the Prophet Abraham an

The ongoing trial of confessed Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik not only demonstrates the degree of hate that he had for others, as he justifies murdering over 70 children. It also draws attention to others who share his view. On April 18, Norwegian news media reported on a "pen pal" for Mr. Breiv

Late last week Egyptian Copts in Cairo booked private airline flights to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter holy week. Soon after, the joy they anticipated turned to anger when they faced rejection by a Coptic priest at the door of Jerusalem’s Saint Helena Chapel on Coptic Palm Sunday. This unlikely deni

Despite safe and effective HIV prevention options such as male and female condoms among others, and considerable thrust on research and development of new HIV prevention technologies, new HIV infections continue to occur daily. Milly Katana from Wisdom Centre, who has been a noted AIDS advocate, had

A two days “State Level Convention of Women Leaders" of feisty rural women began at Gandhi Bhawan in Lucknow on 16th April 2012, bringing together over 650 women leader delegates (organizers were expecting not more than 500) from 9 districts of east UP, and proved once again that more changes can be

No one really knows the size of Pakistan’s Christian minority, nor of the entire population. The most recent census -- conducted in 1981 -- gave a rough count of 84 million people of whom not quite a million were Christian. The unofficial 1990 estimate is 108 million, with an explosive birth-rate of

“It is high time that anal health [and hygiene] comes out of the closet” said Dr Ross Cranston, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh, USA. Dr Cranston was referring to the multitude of anal health complications people practicing receptive anal intercourse are likely to be dealing with in th

Cecil Chaudhry, or Guppoo (for his treasure of anecdotes that never exhausted) as he was known to his friends, died on 13th April 2012. So ended my 53 year old relationship with him.
Cyril, his elder brother was my course mate when I joined P.A.F Academy Risalpur in 1957. I recall, during one wint