Pakistonomy

Pakistan's vibrant media landscape has been facing increasing curbs in recent years. From attacks on journalists to forcing media outlets to not cover certain issues, the media industry is facing unprecedented pressures. In this episode, Uzair talks to Wajahat Khan about how the media industry operates, its structural weaknesses, and how overt and covert influence is exerted to force journalists and outlets to toe a certain line. Wajahat Khan is Nikkei Asia’s Digital Editor in New York City, reporting on Indo-Pacific security. A graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism and the University of Michigan, Wajahat has reported from 16 countries covering conflict, diplomacy, politics and media for digital, cable and network news, on and off camera. An Emmy-nominee for producing breaking news, Wajahat was bureau chief in Afghanistan and Pakistan for NBC News for most of the last decade, and covered South Asia for The Times, India Today and leading Pakistani networks. He has also authored the 2019 Amazon sports bestseller, “Game Changer: Being Shahid Afridi.” Reading Recommendations: - Neuromancer by William Gibson - The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy - The Battle for Pakistan: The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood by Shuja Nawaz If you like Pakistonomy, then check out Dragon Road, a new Tabadlab podcast covering China's growing global influence. Dragon Road is hosted by Arif Rafiq and season one is out now. Click the link below to listen to the first episode: https://soundcloud.com/tabadlab-dragonroad/s01-e01-how-china-does-aid

In this episode, Uzair talks to Sabina Khatri about her work in Lyari, where she has spent over two decades investing in the education of a young generation of citizens. We talked about how and why Sabina began working in Lyari, the ways in which trauma hardens young children, especially men, and how community engagement and education can help birth a new generation of leaders who have deep empathy and a passion to change things. Sabina Khatri is the visionary Founder of Kiran Foundation (KF), a non-profit organization she established in response to a distressing incident of child abuse and domestic violence. Guided by an unyielding commitment to creating positive change, Sabina's journey began in 2004 and has since evolved into a transformative force in Lyari. KF's innovative Mother and Child, Trauma-Informed Education System, rooted in values such as compassion, ownership, responsibility, and empathy, reflects Sabina's dedication to holistic growth for both mothers and children. Over a decade of direct community involvement underscores her mission to provide marginalized families with a nurturing environment and quality education, transcending socio-economic barriers. In 2020, she was awarded the 'Sitara-e-Imtiaz' by the government of Pakistan. You can learn more about the Kiran Foundation here – www.kiranfoundation.org Watch this video about the foundation’s graduates - https://youtu.be/d2RFHHBIqrQ?feature=shared Reading recommendations: - Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl - When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Maté - Dibs in Search of Self by Virginia Axline - The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Many people within and outside Pakistan often say that if only Pakistan had a stronger narrative, the country would do much better. But the reality is much, much different. In this discussion, Uzair Younus spoke to Ejaz Haider about his recently published article in The Friday Times, titled Selling the Narrative. Ejaz Haider is Executive Editor at Indus News and was the News Editor at The Friday Times. Uzair and Ejaz talked about why the issues facing Pakistan need to be addressed by addressing root causes, rather than arguing that better marketing and branding can get the job done. You can read the full article here - https://www.thefridaytimes.com/selling-the-narrative/

In this episode, Uzair talks to Taimur Malik about his political campaign in NA-148, where he competed as a PTI candidate against PPP’s former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani. The margin of victory for the PPP’s candidate was razor thin and Taimur is currently in the process of appealing the results. We talked about the vote count, what was it like to campaign in Multan given the constraints on the PTI, and what comes next for the party, both in the courts and in assemblies. You can follow Taimur on X @taimur_malik. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:50 Status of NA-148 election 12:30 PPP’s response to the results 19:00 Campaigning in Multan for the PTI 28:00 Overall appeals of the PTI 37:50 PTI’s alliance with the SIC 44:40 PTI’s strategy moving forward 49:38 Reading recommendations Reading Recommendations - The Constitution of Pakistan - Nuskha ha-e Wafa bu Faiz Ahmed Faiz - The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Pakistan’s parliament has historically been one of the weakest institutions in the country, but even by those standards, events that transpired over this past week have set a new low. Masked men entered parliament and took away numerous PTI legislators, who were subsequently arrested by the police. This has caused an uproar across the country, with the PTI leading the charge in terms of talking about the sustained and accelerating decimation of the rule of law and democracy in the country. In this episode, Uzair talks to Salman Akram Raja about what happened in parliament and what comes next. Mr. Raja is Secretary General of the PTI and a senior supreme court lawyer. We also talked about coalition building and how the PTI intends to reach out to other groups who have been protesting against similar violations for years. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:45 What happened in parliament? 8:30 Ways to strengthen parliament 13:50 Situation in the judiciary 20:45 What is the PTI’s overall engagement strategy? 26:10 Gandapur, divisions, and coalition building 31:40 PTI’s outreach to PTM and others