Tracing the spiritual legacy of “Nanak Se Nankana”

By Syeda Shehar Bano Bukhari Introduction: The rapid growth of social media and digital communication has transformed how people interact, work, and share information. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and other online services have become an important part of everyday life. However, the expansion of digital spaces has also created new forms of crime, including cyber harassment, online blackmail, identity theft, unauthorized sharing of private information, and the misuse of digital content. In Pakistan, cybercrime has become an increasingly important legal issue. Courts are now required to balance the protection of individuals from online abuse with fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and privacy. Recent judicial rulings have highlighted the need for effective investigation, proper use of digital evidence, and protection of victims of online harassment. Background of the Legal Issue: Online harassment can take many forms. It may involve sending threatening messages, repeatedly contacting a person against their wishes, creating fake social media accounts, spreading private photographs, or publishing false information to damage someone’s reputation.  Women are particularly vulnerable to certain forms of online harassment. In some cases, social media platforms are used to threaten women with the publication of private photographs or videos. Such conduct can cause serious psychological distress and may affect a person’s family relationships, education, employment, and social reputation. The problem becomes more complicated when victims hesitate to report such incidents because of social pressure or fear of further harassment. As a result, many cases of online abuse may remain unreported. Role of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act: Pakistan’s main legal framework for dealing with cybercrime is the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA). The law provides criminal penalties for several forms of unlawful activity carried out through information technology and electronic communication. The law covers offences relating to unauthorized access, interference with information systems, cyberstalking, harassment, identity-related offences, and the misuse of electronic information. Under the legal framework, victims of cyber harassment can approach the relevant authorities and provide evidence such as screenshots, messages, emails, social media links, recordings, and other digital material. Such evidence may assist investigators in identifying the accused and establishing the circumstances of the alleged offence. Importance of Digital Evidence: One of the most important aspects of cybercrime cases is the collection and preservation of digital evidence. Unlike traditional crimes, online offences often leave electronic traces. For example, if an individual repeatedly threatens another person through WhatsApp messages, the victim may preserve screenshots, message records, telephone numbers, and other relevant information. Similarly, if a fake social media account is created to impersonate someone, the account link and associated digital information may become important evidence. However, digital evidence must be properly collected and authenticated. Courts must ensure that evidence presented before them is reliable and has not been manipulated by the offenders in connivance with the authorities. This makes forensic investigation an important part of modern criminal justice. Freedom of Expression and Online Abuse: The regulation of online content also raises questions concerning freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, provided by the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, but it is not unlimited and is also restricted. The law may impose reasonable restrictions in certain circumstances, including where speech involves threats, harassment, incitement to violence, or other unlawful conduct. The challenge for courts and law-enforcement authorities is to distinguish between legitimate criticism and unlawful online abuse. For example, a person criticizing a public official’s policies may be exercising freedom of expression. However, repeatedly threatening that official with violence or publishing private information with the intention of causing harm may cross the boundary between protected expression and unlawful conduct. Therefore, effective cybercrime laws must protect both individual safety and legitimate freedom of expression. A Real-Life Example: Consider a situation in which a woman receives repeated threatening messages from an unknown social media account. The person behind the account threatens to publish her private photographs unless she follows certain demands. Such conduct may create fear and psychological pressure. The victim can preserve the messages, take screenshots, record relevant account information, and report the matter to the appropriate authorities. The case demonstrates why awareness of digital rights and legal remedies is important. Victims should know that online harassment is not simply a personal disagreement; depending on the circumstances, it may constitute a criminal offence. Challenges in Cybercrime Investigations: Despite the existence of cybercrime laws, several challenges can affect the investigation and prosecution of online offences. First, offenders may use fake identities or anonymous accounts. Second, digital evidence can be deleted or altered quickly. Third, cybercrime investigations often require specialized technical expertise.  Another challenge is the international nature of the internet. An offender may operate from another country while targeting a victim in Pakistan. In such circumstances, obtaining evidence and identifying the person responsible may require international cooperation. These challenges demonstrate the need for trained investigators, modern forensic laboratories, effective cooperation between institutions, and public awareness. Protection of Victims: Victim protection is an important part of the response to cybercrime. Victims of online harassment may experience anxiety, fear, depression, and social pressure. In cases involving private images or blackmail, the psychological consequences can be particularly severe and damaging. Legal institutions should therefore ensure that victims can report complaints safely and confidentially. Investigations should be conducted professionally, and unnecessary exposure of victims’ private information should be avoided. The justice system should also recognize that victims of cyber harassment may require psychological and social support in addition to legal remedies. Broader Legal Significance: The increasing number of cybercrime cases demonstrates that traditional concepts of criminal law must adapt to technological developments. Crimes committed through digital platforms can cause real-world harm, even when the offender and victim never meet physically. The legal system must therefore develop effective methods for dealing with electronic evidence, online anonymity, cross-border offences, and rapidly changing technology. At the same time, laws should be applied carefully so that legitimate criticism, journalism, and freedom of expression are not unnecessarily restricted. A balanced legal approach is necessary to

By Mehreen Imambaksh Throughout history, women have possessed powerful thoughts, deep emotions, and creative voices; yet, many of these voices have gone unnoticed. Their experiences were frequently limited to their homes, their abilities were questioned, and their intellectual development was neglected. However, literature, history, and social thought expose that women were capable of uttering knowledge, shaping culture, and influencing society, but patriarchal systems often restricted their visibility. For centuries, women were expected to remain silent in public intellectual areas. Their role was widely limited to household responsibilities, whereas education, authorship, and public speaking were dominated by men. Yet despite these barriers, many women endured to write, think, and challenge the systems that tried to silence them. One beautiful example can be found in the nineteenth century with the eminent novel *Wuthering Heights*, written by Emily Brontë (1847). Today the novel is considered one of the masterpieces in English literature. Moreover, Emily Brontë did not publish it under her original name; rather, she used the pen name Ellis Bell. Similarly, her sisters also adopted the same approaches. Charlotte Brontë published *Jane Eyre* under the name of Currer Bell, and Anne Brontë published *The Tenant of Wildfell Hall* under the name of Acton Bell. The reason behind these pen names was simple but widely revealing: society frequently refused to take women writers seriously. The Brontë sisters were highly imaginative and intellectually able, yet they felt pressured to hide their identities to ensure their work could be approved. Their circumstances examine the huge restrictions placed upon women’s voices during that time. Long before the Brontë sisters, early feminist thinkers had raised concerns about women’s lack of education and freedom. In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft wrote *A Vindication of the Rights of Woman*, challenging that women should have equal access to education and intellectual opportunities. She said that women were treated as inferior in society not because they lacked capability, but because they were refused the chance to advance their minds. More than a century later, this problem was discussed again by Virginia Woolf in her masterpiece work *A Room of One’s Own* (1929). She famously argued that women in the past were refused both financial independence and private space, which restricted them from freely uttering knowledge. Therefore, she said a woman needs not merely talent but also freedom and equality to express her feelings and thoughts. Modern scholars have further examined how systems of knowledge can silence subaltern voices. In her essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988), Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak introduced the idea of epistemic violence, which means how dominant systems of knowledge remove or suppress the voices of certain groups, especially women and colonized communities. When women’s ideas are ignored or removed, their experiences are excluded from the production of knowledge, creating a form of intellectual oppression. These rooted examples depict that women’s silence was never because of a lack of intelligence or creativity. Instead, it was the result of social systems that demotivated or limited their role in participation in intellectual and public life. Even today, this evidence remains visible in many societies. In many cultures, women still hesitate to talk openly, particularly on public platforms or digital spaces. Furthermore, social expectations and fear of judgment frequently create unseen obstacles that prevent women from sharing their thoughts and feelings. This hesitation is not always enforced directly; sometimes it evolves internally due to long-standing social pressures. Moreover, I personally experienced this hesitation in my own life. For many years, I believed in the significance of women’s ability, yet I was not actively immersed in initiatives related to it. One cause for this was my anxiety about visibility on social media platforms to reveal my feelings and ideas because I feared how society, especially as a Baloch student, might react to a woman openly sharing her ideas. This anxiety is not unfamiliar. Many women feel unsure about expressing themselves publicly because they expect critique or misunderstanding. However, personal growth frequently begins with a small step. For me, that step was creating my social media platforms such as Medium, a LinkedIn profile, and starting to share my writings, including poems and reflections based on my experiences. At the start, this act felt common, yet slowly opened new chances. Through this visibility, I became connected with extensive intellectual and professional networks, which ultimately led me to become immersed in women’s ascension. Being involved in this initiative has allowed me to interact with women from various cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. These interactions have been widely improving. They have shown me that when women communicate and share experiences across cultures, they create unique forms of understanding and collective growth. This experience shows that women’s empowerment does not always happen through major changes, but it begins slowly when women start to express themselves, engage in conversations, and share knowledge with others. Communication is one of the influential tools that helps women to connect their personal experiences with global discussions about equality and justice. However, change needs cooperation. Women’s power should not be seen as an effort between men and women. Instead, it should be perceived as a collaborative struggle to create a fair and inclusive society. Both men and women play a major role in supporting and motivating women’s voices. Traditionally, patriarchal societies frequently reduced women to limited roles, especially examining their function as a child-bearing machine. Whereas motherhood is an essential and valuable role, it should never define the entirety of a woman’s identity. Women have intellectual capabilities, creative skills, and leadership qualities that can contribute importantly to society. Education plays an essential role in changing these circumstances. When women receive education, they gain the confidence and knowledge necessary to contribute actively in social, economic, and intellectual life. Educated women are more capable of expressing their thoughts, challenging injustice, and participating in the development of their communities. Furthermore, the impact of women’s education extends beyond the individual. When women are educated, they can brighten their children’s lives and motivate the next generations to learn. Historically, when women

During the rainy season and changing weather cases of dengue malaria viral fever typhoid and other illnesses often increase. When people develop a fever many wonder whether taking a bath could make their condition worse. Health experts say that taking a bath during fever is generally safe. A bath with lukewarm water can help the body feel more comfortable and may temporarily reduce body temperature. However the water should not be extremely hot or cold. Avoid very cold water Experts advise against bathing with ice-cold or very cold water during a fever.  Sudden exposure to cold water can cause shivering. This may make the body work harder to produce heat and can increase discomfort. Very hot water should also be avoided. It can raise body temperature and may make weakness and tiredness worse. Do not use alcohol on the skin Some people use alcohol or spirit on the skin to try to lower fever. Health experts do not recommend this method. Alcohol can be absorbed through the skin and may cause harmful effects. It should especially never be used on children for this purpose. What should you do during a fever? Fever is usually not a disease itself. It is often a sign that the body is fighting an infection.  Therefore it is important to find and treat the cause of the fever instead of only trying to lower the temperature. Drink plenty of fluids during a fever to prevent dehydration. Water, ORS coconut water soup and other suitable drinks can help. Wear light comfortable clothes and make sure the room has good airflow. If a full bath feels difficult you can gently clean the body with a soft cloth dipped in lukewarm water. Eating light and easily digestible foods such as porridge, khichdi, and other soft foods may also help the body recover. When should you see a doctor? A mild fever may improve with rest enough fluids and medicines recommended by a doctor. However medical help should be sought if the fever lasts for more than two to three days or is accompanied by confusion breathing problems severe headache repeated vomiting unusual skin rashes, or other serious symptoms. A baby under three months old with a fever should be examined by a doctor immediately. Overall taking a lukewarm bath during fever is usually not a problem. Staying hydrated, getting enough rest eating light food and finding the actual cause of the fever are much more important for recovery.