Women’s Day 2025

The Pakistan Women’s Foundation for Peace hosted the Women’s Day 2025 event, addressing Pakistan’s persistent gender disparity and the critical need for equality. Despite women’s undeniable contributions to society—excelling in academics, breaking stereotypes, and achieving historic milestones—Pakistan ranks 145th out of 146 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index, a position it has held for years.

President PWFFP said Women make up 49 percent of the population, yet their literacy rate remains only 51 percent, and their workforce participation stagnates at 25 percent. Even in politics and corporate leadership, their presence is limited, often restricted to token roles. Rural women face even harsher realities, with unpaid labour and lack of recognition. Billions have been spent on women’s development programmes, yet tangible improvements remain scarce.

PWFFP urges a national commitment to addressing these issues through better resource allocation, strict accountability, and a stronger push for gender parity. This year’s event featured renowned experts Dr. Ishrat Husain (Economist), Ms. Nasreen Jaleel (Politician), Dr. Tasneem Ahsan (Health Specialist), Barrister Zahra S. Viyani (Legal Expert), Ms. Baela Raza Jameel (Educationist), and Dr. Asad Sayeed (Economist). Their insights highlighted solutions to break barriers and advance women’s empowerment in Pakistan.

The vibrant spirit of Thailand came alive in Karachi recently, as the Royal Thai Consulate General hosted the Songkran Festival at the Pakistan American Cultural Center (PACC). Held in collaboration with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), PACC and Pakistan Print and Electronics Media. The event marked two special occasions: the Thai New Year and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Pakistan.

Consul General Mr. Surashete Boontinand opened the evening with a warm address, highlighting the cultural significance of Songkran, recently inscribed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. He emphasized the importance of cultural exchange in strengthening bilateral ties.

Over 200 guests, including media representatives, diplomats and members of the local community, were treated to a colourful lineup of performances that blended Thai and Pakistani traditions. From elegant Thai dance to rhythmic Pakistani music and dance the evening was a celebration of unity through culture.

Guests also enjoyed a rich spread of Thai cuisine and took part in traditional Songkran activities, including the famous water-splashing ritual, which symbolizes cleansing, renewal, and good fortune.

The Songkran Festival in Karachi was more than a cultural showcase—it was a reflection of the growing friendship and mutual respect between the two nations, leaving attendees with memories of joy, connection, and shared heritage.

By Imran Shirvanee

Classical music has a long history, but in that long history there is a very recent entrant Sagar Veena which was created in Lahore in 1970. In fact, its present version was finalized as late as 2012 by the inventor Raza Kazim. A man of many talents and a musicologist, his love for the instrument is being carried forward by his daughter Noor Zehra Kazim, who is perhaps the finest exponent of Sagar Veena playing. Being a new entrant does this instrument have any future in this dwindling classical music environment? Noor Zehra believes it has a future. And she has a reason for saying that. “Our natural response to our own music is inherent in the raags and their structures,” she explains. “Sagar Veena is capable of exposing us to the undiscovered aspects of those emotions. The conceptual route means that it is already a part of a thought structure. If that belongs to these times and its people, then Sagar Veena is only a means to convey them.”

Noor Zehra explains the instrument was developed on the basis of ideas contrary to the evolutionary route which most of the musical instruments that are handcrafted have taken. The evolutionary stages of any instrument are mainly dependent on the aesthetics of the musician who gets those changes done, and also his own understanding of the structure of the instrument, which was always insufficient. The present instrument makers in India mainly have perfected the art. The younger generation instrument makers have also utilized the technology to make them. On the other hand, Sagar Veena was constructed on the basis of understanding the principles of how a stringed musical instrument works.

“In fifty years the Sagar Veena was standardized. Unfortunately the most crucial part of the instrument, the jowahri could not be completed, as Raza abruptly stopped working due to health issues. The sound of the Sagar Veena keeps changing on a micro level,” says Noor Zehra.

She believes potentially the instrument can communicate much more than the sitar or surbahar. Its resonant sound can tap those areas of the mind which other stringed instruments cannot. “Listeners don’t pinpoint the reason, but they respond to the resonant sound,” she says. “The music is exactly the same as on the sitar. In fact the rhythmic and fast tempo music is better expressed on the sitar. The alaap, which literally means conversation, is expressed and elaborated in the emotional domain much more, but the resonance is more pronounced in the Sagar Veena.”

When asked about the interests in classical music among the younger generation, Noor Zehra was somewhat skeptical. “If you were to say that the younger generation is getting interested in classical music, does this mean that there is a revival of classical music. These questions will demand a closer look. Sufi music is now qawwali, fusion music and kafis. And this does not come under the definition of classical music.”

She, however, is not pessimistic. “The younger generation, on a relative scale has shown interest in learning vocal and instrumental music,” she points out. “Young people have much more access to technology which enables them to learn and understand classical music better. Virtual learning is a bigger reality than guru shishya training. The younger generation is more curious to see how it is different from the music that they are acclimatized with. Some have been exposed to classical music since childhood, but they are few. More than other genres, classical music needs rigorous training. With electronic tools they substitute the rigours of learning.”

Noor Zehra believes that in the absence of guru shishya training and with little or no previous exposure to the diversity of raags, the younger generation catches on to certain moods in the traditional compositions in the simpler and attractive raags, like Daes, Bhairavi, Bihag, and some others. “They are a smart lot,” she admits. “If they have the talent to play or sing, figuring out compositions in difficult rhythms is easy for them. Improvising on the basis of certain principles is also not difficult for them.”

Noor Zehra’s optimism comes from her understanding of the classical music as it stands today. She says the future of classical music which has a restricted authentic audience, is bright. “It is basically a repository of innumerable facets of learning. This repository is not going anywhere,” she asserts. The role of music in society in the past has corresponded to the cultural, political and social structures, Noor Zehra points out. Folk songs, devotional music, religious music, and music with national fervour bear witness to this fact.

Most importantly, the instrumentalist says, this is all because of the role music plays in any society. “I think music has played a role since time immemorial. Today let us generate awareness, in order to get rid of our prejudices and ignorance,” she says.

Extract:

Noor Zehra explains Sagar Veena was developed on the basis of ideas contrary to the evolutionary route which most of the musical instruments that are handcrafted have taken.