Life In Pakistan Research Articles

THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF STUDY TO ANALYZE THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN PAKISTANI FAMILY SYSTEM

In prior times, women were oppressed and abused by way of every attainable method in societies. They endured lots of critique, needed opportunity and stood no place close to men. They were denied of the essential inheritances of an individual. It required lots of exertion and boldness for them to stamp an impression of "the potential and capability of women" and make a critical spot in the community. The objective of this research paper was to analyze the status of women in Pakistan in other word status provided to women in Pakistani family structure and also to analyze its status in Islamic. For the results secondary data was collected from books, research papers, journals and different reports. It was found that women facing violence at various stages in their life in Pakistan. This adversely influences the character/traits of women, harms mental and actual wellbeing and obliterates creativity and efficiency of their endeavors. Low proficiency pace of women, absence of clinical facilities in various areas and no kind of revenue for family women is in problem with women. Here regarding women status, the teaching of Islamic is neglected. It was concluded that, With regards to Pakistan, the indispensable issue is that our religion Islamic has not had the option to cancel the exceptionally old un-Islamic and furthermore cruel social indecencies that are being exercised in the land. Hence, ancestral, family, tribal imagery has gotten more prevailing and helpful than the confidence of Islamic. So it was recommended that the government should maintain the status of women according to teaching of Islamic.

The effects of Cultural Limitations, Constitution, Feminism, Sexual Orientation status among the Women in Pakistani Families

The objective of this research paper is to analyze the status of women in Pakistan in other words status provided to women in Pakistani family structure and also to analyze its status in Islam. This study describes to what extent, women were oppressed and abused by way of every attainable method in societies. This study has collected secondary data from books, research papers, journals and different reports. It is noted that women facing violence at various stages in their life in Pakistan. The teaching of Islam is neglected here regarding women's status. It was concluded that, With regards to Pakistan, the indispensable issue is that our religion Islam has not had the option to cancel the exceptionally old un-Islamic and furthermore cruel social indecencies that are being exercised in the land. Hence, ancestral family, tribal imagery has gotten more prevailing and helpful than the confidence of Islam. So it was recommended that the government should maintain the status of women according to teaching of Islam.

Water management in Pakistan's Indus Basin: challenges and opportunities

Abstract The Indus River System is a major source of life in Pakistan. A vast array of Pakistan's agricultural and domestic consumption needs are critically dependent on the Indus River System. The Indus River contributes towards 25% of the country's gross domestic product, providing water for almost 90% of the food production in Pakistan. Linked to the water security issues, Pakistan is potentially at risk of facing a severe food shortage in the near future. The World Bank report of 2020–2021 estimates that the water shortage will increase to 32% by 2025, which will result in a food shortage of almost 70 million tons. Water shortage could also result in confrontation between the provinces as river sharing has always been a source of problem for Pakistan. According to recent estimates, siltation and climate change will reduce the water storage capacity by 2025 to almost 30%. As for the per capita water storage capacity in Pakistan, it is about 150 m3, which is quite meagre in comparison with that in other countries. Irrigated agriculture will soon be adversely affected due to the reduced surface water supplies and the consequent increase in groundwater abstraction. To make matters worse, over the past decades, a great deal of distrust has developed among the provinces of Pakistan regarding the water distribution issue, and the successive federal governments have failed to formulate a cohesive inter-provincial National Water Policy. Along with the shortages and increasing demand for water, administrative corruption also plagues the water sector and is quite common. The beneficiaries of this water reallocation system are not only the rural elite, for example the large and politically influential landlords, but also the small and medium capitalist farmers. If not properly addressed, these complications of decreasing water resources could result in serious political and economic hostility among the provinces. If it wants to harness its potential to increase storage capacity, Pakistan must improve its water-use efficiency and manage its groundwater and surface water resources in a sustainable way. Strengthening the institutions and removing mistrust among the provinces are the key elements for maintaining a sustainable irrigated agriculture in the Indus Basin.

Protocol for a cross-sectional study on factors affecting health-related quality of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Pakistan served as a host for more than 1.4 million Afghan refugees for more than 40 years. Access to health care is the most important issue faced by refugees, because they might be at a higher risk for certain diseases. This risk can be attributed to a lack of awareness of health care facilities, health beliefs, inadequate hygiene, cultural differences, and malnutrition. Health of individuals is closely associated with their quality of life. Quality of life over the whole lifespan is pivotal to overall life satisfaction. It includes physical wellbeing, mental health, education, occupation, income, personal safety, as well as (religious) freedom. Until now, the health status of Afghan refugees has never been comprehensively investigated in Pakistan. Therefore, an assessment in this regard is needed to explore their health-related quality of life, for securing their human right to health. A cross-sectional study has been designed to describe and explain the health-related quality of life of Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Multistage cluster sampling was applied for selection of study participants. The number of respondents from two regions in Pakistan was drawn through a proportionate sampling technique. A quantitative research method using pre-validated questionnaires was used for data collection. The questionnaire included items to assess well-being, mental health, health literacy, and factors affecting health and health care. Descriptive analysis was used, whereas inferential statistical tests (binary logistic regression model) was also performed. The study received ethically permission by the Advanced Studies and Research Board of the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. The assessment of Afghan refugee's quality of life in Pakistan should lead to recommendations disseminated to public and health care officials. This evidence is needed for policymaking related to adequate measures for improving health conditions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Formal Modeling, Proving, and Model Checking of a Flood Warning, Monitoring, and Rescue System-of-Systems

Floods after monsoon rains are frequent disasters that affect millions of lives in Pakistan. Human lives are lost, agriculture economies are destroyed, and livestock animals, houses, fruit farms, and crops are lost which are the major livelihoods of thousands of people in Punjab. Each year there are heavy rains in the monsoon season and, due to global warming, there is the rapid melting of snow in northern glaciers; these factors subsequently cause floods. There is also loss of life due to the spread of waterborne diseases and snake bites. Flood monitoring provides early detection of a flood and the calculation of its intensity, which results in reduced human life losses and economic losses. Most casualties are caused by the lack of timely real-time, authentic information about the high-risk areas, and flood intensity, speed, and direction. Therefore, the proposed approach is centered on formal modeling and verification of safety and liveness properties of flood monitoring perceivers. Each flood perceiver has several sensors. It requires the collection of information starting from the flood perceiver, observer, and environmental forecast. This information is processed to determine the flood intensity level. We have developed a CP-Nets’ formal model and model-checked it. We have verified the safety and liveness properties of correctness by exhaustive verification of the system using model-based proof obligations (Event-B method using Rodin). Our objective in this research is to propose a correct, reliable, and efficient flood warning, monitoring, and rescue (WMR) SoS based on formal methods. We have used formal modeling and model-checking based on state-of-the-art hierarchical CP-Nets supported by exhaustive formal proof obligations of Event-B.

The Monitored Watchdogs: Journalists’ Surveillance and its Repercussions for their Professional and Personal Lives in Pakistan

ABSTRACT Journalists, across the world, are ever more at risk of surveillance from state and non-state antagonists. However, to work safely in a monitored environment is a substantial challenge for journalists. In such regimes, journalists and media organizations are often prone to attacks by the state authorities. Surveillance, no matter real or implied, the presence of state panopticon power is felt strongly by the journalists, especially in competitive authoritarian countries like Pakistan. While international organizations monitoring media freedom and journalists’ protection do regularly highlight the increasing surveillance of Pakistani journalists, it is imperative to investigate the way they experience it in their real lives and its implications for them. Thus, informed by the theoretical approaches of panopticism, post-panopticism and competitive authoritarianism, this study aims to address the journalists’ lived experiences of surveillance and its impacts on their professional and personal lives in Pakistan. To accomplish these aims, this study uses the qualitative methods of document review and in-depth interviews, and offers a thematic analysis of the gathered data.

Dilemmas Of Singlehood In Contemporary Pakistani Culture: A Qualitative Study Of Unheard Voices

Marriage has always been central to women’s lives in Pakistan and to remain single is not only considered socially unacceptable but also perceived as non-compliance to the cultural hegemony of the institute of marriage. Pakistan is a country where marriage is considered mandatory and singlehood is viewed as anomalous particularly in the case of women. The present study put light on the experiences of those women who remain unmarried in a traditional society like Pakistan where women are generally seen only as wives and mothers. This study attempted to analyse the perspectives of never-married women with greater emphasis on the issues and challenges faced by them. The primary objective of this paper is to highlight the cultural and psycho-social aspects ofsinglehood and to voice the opinions and ‘lived experiences’ of the never-married female from their perspective. In Pakistani culture, women are generally expected to get married by their mid-twenties. The study was conducted with the help of a qualitative phenomenological approach. It relied on anthropological methods of data collection from twenty never-married women over the age of thirty-five years. Findings revealed that respondents in this study acknowledged their latent desire to be married and having fulfilled lives, however, owing to some tragic socio-familial circumstances, such as financial constraints, the death of father and the responsibility to look after widowed mother and younger siblings, caste-based endogamy, lack of physical attractiveness, failure to find a compatible spouse, were identified as some of the contributory. Regardless of whether the causes for their single status were circumstantial or optional, unmarried women experience criticism, disgrace, loneliness, and feeling of being left out in a patriarchal societal setup where traditional gender role expectations bound women with marriage and motherhood.

Infectious Diseases Emerging as a Non-Traditional Security Threat for Pakistan’s National Security After 9/11

In International politics, human security is a new phenomenon, which deals with the issues of governance and human rights. In political terms, the recent transformation of attention from traditional security to Non-traditional security is a matter of distress for the international community. The linkage between national security and infectious diseases as a non-traditional security imperative is comparatively a new phenomenon in Pakistan. Infectious diseases have become a fact of life in Pakistan, which poses a serious threat to national security. In the preceding years, Pakistan has suffered from different contagious diseases like Dengue, Congo fever, Polio, and recently Coronavirus. To overcome this non-traditional security threat requires an integrated and coordinated approach from the governmental and non-governmental institutions to address the health security issues holistically. The paper examines the effects of the outbreaks of these infectious diseases in Pakistan as a non-traditional security issue that poses a serious threat to its national security.

Owls in Islam and Pakistan: Loopholes and Suggestions for Conservation and Management of this Highly Ecologically Important Niche

Due to their vital ecological significance, owls drew the attention of several groups working on wildlife protection and conservation management across the globe. Hence, certain legal provisions have been articulated in the wildlife protection acts of the advanced countries to ensure full legal protection of wildlife including owls. Although there are certain laws concerning the protection of wild life in Pakistan, the specific and consistent legal provisions are still required for owl’s full protection. This article highlights a dire need of the articulation of such provisions respecting the prohibition of owl hunting on several religious, legal and ecological grounds.

Health Related Quality of Life among Blood Cancer Patients in Pakistan: A Cross Sectional Survey.

The importance of health-related quality of life and its determinants including physical, emotional, and functional domains has long been recognized among blood cancer patients in the developed world but this concept is still in infancy in developing countries, including Pakistan. The objective of the study was to assess health related quality of life among blood cancer patients. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. A pre-validated questionnaire that is EORTC-QLQ-C30 was self-administered to a sample of 400 blood cancer patients selected using convenience sampling technique. After data collection, data was cleaned, coded, and entered in SPSS. Descriptive statistics comprising of frequency and percentages were calculated. Non-parametric tests Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney tests (P ≤ .05) were performed to find out the differences among different variables. The results highlighted that lowest scores for EORTC-QLQ-C30 were observed in the domain of emotional functioning (3.38, ±35.790), followed by cognitive function (4.56, ±30.368) whereas highest scores were observed in the domain of physical functioning (40.92, ±35.484). Significant difference (P ≤ .05) was observed among different domains of health-related quality of life of blood cancer patients treated in different sectors, provinces, setting, gender, and with different comorbidities. The present study concluded that blood cancer patients had poor health related quality of life in Pakistan. Emotional functioning and cognitive function were the most compromised health related quality of life domains among blood cancer patients. Females having blood cancer, those patients treated in private sector healthcare facilities, patients residing in tribal and rural setting had relatively better health related quality of life. No appropriate psychosocial care program for the blood cancer patients are available in Pakistan.

Impact of Individual Life Assurance System (ILAS) on the Net Benefits of EFU Life in Pakistan

This case study explored the impact of the Individual Life Assurance System (ILAS) on the net benefits of EFU Life, a leading insurance company in Pakistan. EFU Life implemented ILAS in order to overcome the challenge of technical limitations and unavailability of modules. The study conducted a survey of people across all departments in EFU Life to assess the performance of ILAS on the company net benefits. The research framework was formulated based on the Delone Model in the context of Pakistan [13]. This study added the Service Quality to the existing System Quality and Information Quality that are used to gauge the Organizational Impact in the original Delone Model [13]. Moreover, our model also incorporates Top Management Support as an antecedent of Quality, User Satisfaction, and Net Benefit. The ultimate aim is to find a way to enhance Net Benefits. The research argues that improved Quality as a result of Top Management Support reduces /eliminates wastage of resources and helps the organization in achieving profits, hence, the increase in the Net Benefits. It is found that Top Management support enhances user benefit and therefore recommends top managers to be fully involved and support a suitable environment and culture for the positive change in the organization’s image that is extremely important for user satisfaction. It is suggested that there is a need for top managers to arrange resources required by the users and encourage a user-focused organizational environment to promote user satisfaction. Involvement and support of top managers can also make the overall organization succeed, and its evidence can be seen in current research in the form of top management support’s positive effect on the net benefit of organizations.

COVID-19 and Dental Education in Pakistan.

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected more than 6 million people globally; and changed the dynamics of the entire world. In March 2020, novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Pakistan, the first case of COVID-19 was reported on 26th February, 2020. The virus is highly contagious and spreads mainly by aerosols. Its major symptoms include sore throat, cough, high-grade fever, anosmia, etc. Like other countries, it has also affected all fields of life in Pakistan, but its impact on dental education and dentistry has been particularly devastating. Dental institutes are at particularly high risk for infection transmission through their aerosol-generating dental procedures. In the scenario of a lockdown, dental students are suffering a lot and the dental colleges and faculties must try their best to overcome this situation. This article aims to review the challenges faced by dental community to carryout teaching and training in dental education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key Words: COVID-19, Dentistry, Education, Pakistan, Pandemic.

Decriminalizing Attempt to Suicide in Pakistan (Treatment not Punishment; An Analytical Study)

Life is a precious gift of God and every mankind is bound to observe its sanctity. But several reasons and mental disorders have taken the force from mankind to observe the sanctity of life and as a result, they take their lives by committing suicide. By definition, Suicide refers, to the act of killing oneself, most often as a result of some mental illness. Suicide is a misfortune and to some extent a mystery. As of late, the pace of suicide has expanded in Pakistan and it has become a significant issue of the ongoing period. The surveyed pace of suicide in Pakistan as per the World Health Organization (WHO) was 7.5 per 100,000 individuals, in 2012. In straightforward words, around 13,000 individuals ended it all that year. The gauge was 2.9 per 100,000 for example more than 5,500 took their lives, in 2016. Around 15 to 35 individuals end their lives in Pakistan consistently. Hanging, utilization of bug sprays and guns are the most widely recognized techniques for ending it all. Pakistan is among few countries in which attempted suicide is yet a culpable offense as it has condemned the suicide and its attempt under Section 325 of Pakistan Penal Code 1860 with either punishment or fine or both. It is relevant to make reference to that perpetrating suicide is an ailment not wrongdoing as an individual who endeavors to end it all experiences mental issues like; sadness, tension, disappointment and he ought to be given treatment, not discipline. An individual who endeavors to end it all and comes up short ought to be treated as a 'patient', not as a guilty party of a failed suicide attempt‟. This Research Project will provide a deep insight into the problem of criminalizing suicide and attempt to suicide‟. In addition, also provide a framework for omitting or repealing Section 325 of PPC by replacing the punishment with treatment/rehabilitation.

Socio-cultural factors influencing preschool enrolment in a rural cohort exposed to early parenting interventions in Pakistan: A qualitative study

Early parenting interventions have shown to be effective for changing parenting behaviours to provide stimulation at home. However, evidence about the effect on decision to timely enrol the child in preschool and the related pathways is scarce. A follow-up study of a rural cohort exposed to early parenting interventions in the first 2 years of life in Pakistan though indicated benefits for children’s cognitive skills and learning environment at home but did not improve preschool enrolment rates. The aim of this study was to explore stakeholder knowledge, attitudes and perceptions about preschool education that may influence parent’s decision of enrolment. A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach was conducted. Data collection methods included focus group discussion and in-depth interviews with the parents and the teachers and observations of selected preschools. An emergent thematic analysis was followed. Findings showed that community attitudes related to their role in children’s preschool education (e.g. lack of parental involvement), and their perceptions of stakeholders’ responsibilities and accountability (child being responsible for own motivation and interest to learn) were barriers to preschool enrolment. Facilitators included quality of preschools and older siblings enrolled in the school. Early parenting interventions may be insufficient to change community perceptions of preschool education in disadvantaged contexts with dysfunctional education systems. Targeted strategies addressing socio-cultural barriers for early learning are needed.

Are migration routes disease transmission routes? Understanding Hepatitis and HIV transmission amongst undocumented Pakistani migrants and asylum seekers in a Parisian suburb

Drawing on hospital-based interviews and fieldwork in a deprived Parisian suburb, this paper analyses the spatio-temporal dynamics of risk, exposure, and mobilities in individual stories of undocumented Pakistani male migrants, and asylum seekers—receiving treatment for single and combined diagnoses of HIV, and Hepatitis C and B. Inviting alignments with the ‘sexual’ turn in mobility studies, it prioritises the interface of all-male undocumented migration, mobility, sexuality, and homosociality in circumscribing disease transmission geneaologies. It questions the extent to which illegal migration routes are transmission routes, and risk environments assume different levels of intensity in everyday life in Pakistan, during the journey, and in France. It emphasises inadequately addressed epidemics of HIV and hepatitis in Pakistan, the significance of unequal routes to migrant healthcare in France, and the transnational adaptation of homosocial and sexual behaviours, including MSM. These factors interplay with intensified vulnerabilities relating to childhood sexual abuse, family traumas, sexual risks related to illegal migration and undocumented status in France, chronic stresses leading to depleted mental and physical health, and restrictions on heterosexual sex facing marginalised migrants. Further, temporal vulnerabilities relate to the colonial criminalisation of homosexuality in Pakistan, widespread sexual violence—and forms of contemporary exclusion and hostility regarding Muslim migrants in Europe. Particularly, we emphasise the paradox, and need to sensitively address, a complex confluence of hidden risks that are deeply embedded in ethnic communities of solidarity and support. The findings trouble the tendency to partition global hepatitis and HIV prevalence rates by ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ country variation.

Social Costs of War Against Terrorism in Pakistan (2002–2012)

Objective: The terrorist attacks of September 9/11 ensued war on terror, which had world-wide implications. Being a front-line state in this war, Pakistan faced several human security challenges and risks on social, economic, and psychological grounds. This article critically analyses the impact of war on terror, which jeopardized lives of common people and aggravated militancy and extremism in the country. Method: This is a qualitative case study research that tries to establish an in-depth understanding of the social phenomenon of war on terror and its consequences on the social setup of human life in Pakistan. Findings: The major finding of research reveals that the war on terror caused religious extremism, suicide bombing culture, external intervention, and internal displacement. Recommendations: In order to control terrorism in Pakistan and to mitigate the post-war on terror effects, this research recommends to develop and enhance coordination in the affairs of main functionary bodies of the country like government, security forces, and intelligence agencies. Keywords: Extremism, Terrorism, Islamization, Suicide Bombing, Drone Attacks.

Socio-psychological Implications of Public Harassment for Women in the Capital City of Islamabad

The study explores the phenomenon of street harassment and its socio-psychological implications on women living in the capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan. Street harassment represents a form of gender violence that violates human dignity by making the female victims feel vulnerable and insecure in public spaces. The findings have been compiled on the basis of empirical analyses of the views of 200 female students from eight different universities of Islamabad, Pakistan. The study reveals that objectification, street harassment and abuse are incontrovertible parts of women’s lives in Pakistan. Despite constituting more than half of the population in the Pakistan, women continue to live in a patriarchal milieu that thrives on harassment, discrimination and oppression against them in both public and private spheres. The study concludes that the menace of street harassment entails devastating emotional, physical and psychological impacts and recommends that policy interventions be undertaken to curb this heinous act perpetrated against women.

Umbilical cord care through community-based distribution of chlorhexidine in rural Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract Background Unsafe practices such as cutting umbilical cord with unsterilized instruments and application of harmful substances, are in practice in many rural areas of Pakistan, and associated with high risk of neonatal sepsis and mortality. Methods We conducted an implementation research in 2015 in Tharparkar district, in Sindh province of Pakistan to understand the feasibility and acceptability of community-based distribution of chlorhexidine (CHX) in rural Pakistan. For this cohort group-only study, 225 lady health workers (LHWs) enrolled 495 pregnant women. Enrolled women received 4% CHX gel and user’s instructions for newborn cord care. The LHWs also counseled women on the benefits and correct use of CHX. Study enumerators collected data from CHX receiving women 3 times: at around 2 weeks before delivery, within 24 hours after delivery, and on the 8th day after delivery. We implemented this study jointly in collaboration with Ministry of Health in Sindh province, Pakistan. Results Among enrolled participants, 399 women (81%) received only the first visit, 295 women (60%) received first two visits and 261 women (53%) received all three visits by enumerators. Among 399 women, who received CHX gel, counseling on its use and were respondent to the first round data collection, 78% remembered that the CHX gel to be applied to cord stump and surrounding areas immediately after birth; but less than a third (29%) forgot the need to keep the cord clean and dry. Among 295 respondents in the first two rounds of data collection, who delivered at home, 97% applied CHX to cord stump on the first day. Conclusions Community-based CHX distribution by LHWs, along with counseling to recipient women, resulted in a high rate of cord care with CHX among newborn delivered at home. Results from this study may help program implementers to consider expanding this intervention for improving newborn cord care on the first day of life in Pakistan. Key messages Community-based distribution of chlorhexidine for newborn cord care appears as highly acceptable and feasible in rural communities in Pakistan. Relevant program policy supporting community-based CHX distribution along with counseling by LHW may help expanding coverage of newborn cord care in rural communities in Pakistan.

Teachers’ perception of students’ performance in the architectural design studio in the light of Bourdieu

The socioeconomic class system defines every aspect of life in Pakistan, education being one of them. Varied socioeconomic backgrounds along with a strongly discriminated education system produce individuals with a varying level of cultural capital that is familiarity with the dominant culture of society. Success in education is largely dependent upon inherent personality attributes or habitus, as defined by Bourdieu, playing a vital role. To understand the relation of students’ cultural capital with architectural education from a neutral point of view, this study focuses on comprehending teachers’ perception of the impacts of social background on students’ personality and their performance in the design studio. Detailed semi-structured interviews are conducted with 14 design teachers from four architectural schools in Lahore. The results show that the majority of teachers believe that social background has vast impact on students’ personality and defines their cultural capital, which dictates their design ability.

Expanding Literature of Human Right to Life in Pakistan

Expanding Literature of Human Right to Life in Pakistan