How baby shark built pinkfong’s empire

Since Ashura, the mothers of Sindh have been sitting in at Babarloi Bypass through suffocating heat and humidity, with one demand: return our missing and abducted children. For a mother, a child is her entire universe — and for years these women have lived in psychological anguish searching for theirs. Fazila Sarki of Thul vanished nearly seventeen years ago; her father named the local Wadero he says orchestrated it, yet she was never recovered. Priya Kumari of Sangrar is entering her fifth year missing — committees formed, updates promised, and still nothing, as if the earth or sky simply swallowed her. Sindh’s landlords and chieftains have built a parallel state, one that operates above the law. If not, why would fourteen children currently be missing, why would the soil be stained with young blood over trifles, why would mothers go blind from weeping and cemeteries keep expanding? Innocent young women are still declared Kari and honor-killed — denied even a ritual bath, shroud, or funeral prayer, sometimes dumped in rivers. The law exists on paper; hundreds of thousands of officials draw salaries and perks from public taxes to enforce it — yet ordinary people have no protection at any level. The papers are full of these stories daily. The law exists, but it is locked away in books. Are the hands meant to enforce it helpless, or simply indifferent? Sukkur Civil Hospital — the teaching hospital for Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, and once a lifeline stretching from Balochistan’s Sibi, Nasirabad, and Bhag Nari to Kandhkot-Kashmore, Shikarpur, and Ghotki — has sunk to the level of Shikarpur’s Rai Bahadur Udhodas Hospital. Department heads sit in name only; real control rests with a handful of favorites who have run these institutions into the ground. Road accidents are a daily occurrence on the highways, and while the Orthopaedic Department stays busy, its facilities inspire only regret. With Nasir Shah and veteran politician Khurshid Shah both present, this hospital ought to be a model for Northern Sindh — instead it is anything but. Law and order, and justice, are the pillars any civilized society rests on. Where they hold, life, property, and honor are protected, and social harmony follows. Where they fail, fear, distrust, and unrest take their place — and our own society is proof enough of that; little more needs saying. An educated person lifts not just himself but his society; where ignorance and social ills grow instead, it is education that has failed first. Healthcare here tells the same story: women give birth in Qingqi rickshaws, medicine is scarce, and families buy even a disposable syringe out of pocket — though the budget for it exists. Doctors draw government salaries while absent, some working in Qatar or Saudi Arabia, others running private clinics. A friend recently told me PPHI, on taking over a government health unit, found a stockpile of medicines for heart disease, diabetes, and stomach ailments — worth a fortune, and only months from expiry. What tyranny is greater than this: medicine sitting unused while the needy go without? It is nothing short of an atrocity against the public. Hunger, disease, unemployment, lawlessness, and ignorance have battered Sindh until its people’s capacity for critical thought is paralyzed. The state, along with conscious citizens, politicians, and the well-off, must turn to this crisis — urgently.

Looking directly at the Sun is impossible and capturing a clear image of it is even more difficult. However, new images of the star at the center of our solar system have been released showing its surface in extraordinary detail. The images were captured by the Inouye Solar Telescope located in the US state of Hawaii. It is considered the world’s most powerful solar telescope and is capable of observing the Sun in unprecedented detail. The telescope has captured images of the Sun before but these new photographs provide the most detailed views yet of the surface of our solar system’s star. A unique wing-like pattern can be seen across the Sun’s surface in the images. According to scientists, this pattern is associated with the Sun’s magnetic field which is moving in a wave-like manner due to hot gases. Closer look at Sun’s surface The images reveal processes occurring on the Sun’s surface that may help explain a decades-old mystery: why the Sun’s outer atmosphere known as the corona is millions of times hotter than its visible surface. Experts say these are the highest-resolution images of the Sun’s surface ever captured. In earlier observations, the telescope detected sand-like structures on the Sun’s surface making it appear as though grains of sand were being viewed under a microscope. Each of these structures was roughly the size of France in terms of area but the new images reveal much greater detail. The new photographs show a distinctive pattern on the Sun’s surface associated with rapidly moving plasma. Scientists have identified this pattern as Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs). Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities have been observed on Earth during the formation of patterns in lakes, oceans and clouds. They have also been detected on Jupiter and Saturn but their presence on the Sun had not previously been confirmed. Why Sun’s magnetic activity matters? Solar activity particularly changes in the Sun’s magnetic fields can affect power grids, satellites, GPS positioning and global communications on Earth. These magnetic fields are generated by the Sun’s extremely hot plasma but scientists have not yet fully understood how they work. Experts know that these magnetic fields can trigger sudden releases of enormous amounts of heat but exactly why this happens remains unclear. The new images, however, provide clues that could help explain why the Sun’s visible surface has a temperature of around 6,000°C while its outer atmosphere can reach temperatures of millions of degrees Celsius.

By Dr Naveeda Katper Different countries have different characteristics regarding population, geography, and natural resources that shape their economic growth. Economists use various indicators to measure development, and population is one of the most debated among them. A large population is often viewed as a hurdle to economic growth. However, every issue deserves to be examined from different angles. The question, “Is a large population a curse or a blessing?” cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. We need to move beyond the idea of population as a burden and understand the concept of the demographic dividend. What appears to be a curse can become a blessing when viewed through the right perspective and supported by the right policies. Research by the RAND Corporation and the World Bank has shown that countries with a growing working-age population can experience faster economic growth when supported by sound education, health, and employment policies. Whether a large population becomes an economic asset depends on governance and public policy. A growing population is not necessarily a curse because every additional mind brings new ideas, different perspectives, and fresh solutions to existing problems. One mind can accomplish one task, two minds can accomplish two, and millions of minds can achieve far more. That is the value of teamwork and collective human potential. Every individual possesses different skills, abilities, and talents that can contribute to national development. What many consider a burden may actually become a country’s greatest strength if those human resources are properly developed. This is the essence of the demographic dividend—the economic advantage that emerges when the working-age population becomes larger than the dependent population. Development economists describe this period as a “window of opportunity” rather than a guaranteed outcome. Highly populated countries can utilize their youthful population to strengthen their economies. After India, China, the United States, and Indonesia, Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world. This should be seen as an opportunity rather than a challenge because more than 65 percent of Pakistan’s population consists of young people. That gives the country a significant advantage. A demographic dividend can only be realized when the working-age population is educated, healthy, skilled, and productively employed. When more people are working and contributing to the economy, household savings increase, investment grows, government spending on dependents declines, and both economic output and per capita income improve. The World Bank has repeatedly emphasized that human capital—education, health, and skills—is one of the strongest drivers of long-term productivity and national income. The real challenge is identifying the policies required to achieve this dividend. A country can benefit only if it creates sufficient employment opportunities, provides quality education and skill development, ensures access to healthcare, encourages women to participate in the workforce, and maintains stable economic and public policies. When these conditions exist, the country enjoys faster economic growth, greater productivity, increased investment and savings, improved living standards, and stronger entrepreneurship and innovation. Economic growth becomes inevitable when people are hardworking, equipped with multiple skills from an early age, and capable of adapting to changing economic demands. Skilled and self-reliant citizens become the driving force of national development. Evidence from South Korea, Singapore, and Ireland shows that investment in education and skills transformed youthful populations into globally competitive economies. However, a demographic dividend can quickly become a demographic burden if employment opportunities and skills do not keep pace with population growth. The consequences may include rising unemployment, poverty, social unrest, and migration. Economists and demographers consistently argue that a demographic dividend is not automatic; it is an opportunity that must be earned through effective governance and strong institutions. Without adequate planning and investment, a large youth population can become a liability instead of an asset. The International Labour Organization has warned that persistent youth unemployment can reduce economic productivity and increase social instability. A dynamic economy capable of creating millions of formal-sector jobs each year is essential for absorbing a growing workforce. Human capital development should remain at the center of national policy. Strong educational systems, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), digital literacy, coding, digital finance, and technology-based curricula should be introduced from the early years of education. Equal opportunities for girls and women in education and employment are equally important. Pakistan also needs job creation, labour market reforms, export-led manufacturing, labour flexibility, investment in high-value industries such as technology, electronics, and specialized services, support for youth entrepreneurship and microfinance, and stronger healthcare infrastructure. UNESCO has consistently highlighted that technical and vocational education equips young people with practical skills that improve employability and economic resilience. Pakistan possesses one of the largest youth populations in the region, but this advantage can only be realized through greater investment in education, skills, and employment. In conclusion, population control alone is not a long-term solution to economic growth. Developing people’s abilities, expanding opportunities, and investing in human capital are far more effective. The experiences of countries such as Italy and Japan also demonstrate that declining populations and ageing societies create their own economic challenges. The real question is not how many people a country has, but how well it prepares its people to contribute to national development. Research across both developed and developing countries consistently concludes that people become an economic asset when governments invest in their education, health, productivity, and opportunities rather than viewing population solely as a number. The writer holds a PhD from Malaysia and writes on economic development, public policy, and demographic issues. She can be reached at naveedakatper11@gmail.com