Rabies still kills thousands in Pakistan

From Syed Tahir For centuries, one question has remained at the centre of human reflection: Who am I? The question appears simple, yet it contains one of the deepest mysteries of human existence. Identity is not merely a collection of facts about an individual. A name, profession, nationality or social position may describe a person, but they cannot fully explain the self behind them. Human beings are not born with a complete identity. They create one. Through memories, relationships, choices and experiences, individuals gradually construct an understanding of who they are and what they value. The self is not a fixed object. It is an ongoing process of becoming. The Digital Age is quietly transforming this process. For the first time in history, external systems do not merely observe human behaviour. They increasingly predict preferences, organise choices and influence the environments through which identity itself develops. This transformation is subtle because it rarely appears as control. It appears as convenience. A song suggested before we search for it. A film selected before we decide what we want to watch. A news story placed before our attention. A product displayed before desire fully develops. A community recommended before we consciously seek belonging. The language is harmless. The implications are profound. The central paradox of the digital age is that the systems designed to understand us are gradually becoming capable of influencing the people we become. The algorithm does not need to tell us who we should be. It only needs to shape the choices through which we construct ourselves. Human identity has always been influenced by external forces. Families transmit values. Schools develop habits of thought. Communities provide belonging. Cultures offer narratives through which individuals understand their place in the world. But these influences are usually visible. Digital influence is different. It often operates quietly. A recommendation does not present itself as authority. It presents itself as assistance. It does not say, “Become this person.” It simply arranges the possibilities from which a person chooses. This is why the question of algorithmic identity is not only about technology. It is about human agency. Because freedom is not merely the ability to make choices. Freedom also requires understanding how those choices are shaped. The challenge of the digital age is that recommendations can gradually become substitutes for exploration. Human growth has always depended upon encounters with the unexpected. A person discovers a passion through an unfamiliar book. A new idea changes a lifelong assumption. A conversation with someone different expands the boundaries of understanding. The unexpected has always played a central role in shaping identity. Yet algorithms operate through patterns. They learn from what we have already watched, searched, liked and chosen. Their purpose is to provide more of what appears relevant to us. This creates extraordinary convenience. But convenience can also create limitations. If every choice is shaped by previous preferences, the individual may gradually encounter less of what challenges, surprises or transforms them. The algorithm is excellent at recognising who we have been. Human beings are defined partly by who they can still become. This distinction lies at the heart of the debate about digital identity. A person is not simply the sum of past behaviour. Human beings possess the ability to change their beliefs, abandon old habits and discover new purposes. A system based on previous choices can predict tendencies. It cannot fully understand transformation. The philosopher Charles Taylor, in Sources of the Self, argued that human identity develops through the meanings and values people attach to their lives. Individuals understand themselves through relationships, moral commitments and ideas about what makes life meaningful. Identity requires reflection. It requires asking: Why do I value what I value? The digital environment complicates this question because it increasingly reduces the distance between desire and satisfaction. Instead of allowing individuals to wander, discover and sometimes struggle with uncertainty, it often provides immediate suggestions based on existing behaviour. The result is a subtle shift. We move from discovering ourselves to being continuously reflected back to ourselves. The system becomes a mirror. But a mirror that recommends what it wants us to see. This does not mean recommendations are harmful. They can introduce people to knowledge, entertainment and communities they might never have found otherwise. The problem begins when recommendation replaces curiosity. A map is valuable because it helps us navigate. But a life cannot be lived entirely through maps. Some of the most meaningful journeys begin when people choose paths they were never advised to follow. The transformation of identity becomes even more visible in the way people now present themselves to the world. Long before social media existed, the sociologist Erving Goffman examined how individuals manage impressions in everyday life. In The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, he argued that people often present different versions of themselves depending on their surroundings and audiences. The digital age has not created this tendency. It has amplified it. Online platforms have turned identity into something increasingly visible, measurable and constantly evaluated. The self is no longer only experienced privately. It is displayed through photographs, opinions, achievements and carefully selected moments. A person does not merely exist. A person appears. This creates a new tension between being and performing. The question slowly changes from: “Who am I?” to: “How am I perceived?” The desire for recognition is deeply human. Every society has valued reputation, belonging and acceptance. The problem begins when external approval becomes the primary measure through which individuals understand themselves. Experiences become shaped by their visibility. Achievements become symbols. Opinions become signals of belonging. The private self begins competing with the public self. The danger is not self-expression itself. Digital platforms have allowed millions of people to share ideas, build communities and express identities that may have remained unheard in previous eras. The challenge begins when performance replaces reflection. A person can become highly visible without becoming deeply self-aware. This is where the philosophy of Martin Heidegger becomes relevant. In Being and Time,

The image of travel in Pakistan is changing. At bus terminals in Rawalpindi, at Islamabad International Airport, and on trails in Hunza, a growing number of travellers are moving with just one thing in common — they are alone. Solo travel, once seen as unusual, is now a quiet but visible trend among Pakistanis. Industry data and tour operators say bookings by single travellers have risen steadily over the last two years, driven by social media, remote work, and a desire for independence. For decades, Pakistani travel meant family trips to Murree, Nathiagali, or Swat, or group tours arranged through agencies. That model is shifting. Nevertheless, reasons are practical and personal. Let’s say, no need to coordinate leave or budgets with others, or time to navigate new places on one’s own terms. These days , hostels, cafés, and trekking groups in places like Karimabad and Skardu have become meeting points for solo travellers. However, safety remains the top concern, especially for women. That is pushing both travellers and the industry to adapt. Hotels in major tourist towns now offer female-only dorms. Ride-hailing apps provide trip sharing. Also, the Ministry of Tourism has started listing registered guesthouses and guides on its website. Taking about the top destinations, Domestically, the most popular solo destinations of 2026 are, Hunza, Skardu, and Fairy Meadows for trekking and landscapes, Swat and Kalam for short trips, easier access. And Islamabad and Lahore, for weekend culture trips, history, and food walks. Internationally, Pakistanis traveling alone are choosing Turkey, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia for Umrah-plus-tourism packages. Portugal and Japan are also rising for first-time solo travellers abroad due to safety and transit systems. But I would say Sri Lanka is the must go. For traveling solo, One of the biggest challenge is price. Single rooms and ‘single supplements’ on tours can add 20-30% to costs. However, to counter this, some operators are launching “solo-friendly” departures — group tours where you get your own room but share activities. To combat this, solo travellers usually travel in shoulder months and spend more on local experiences — guides, food, and home-stays. I am a travelwriter, who travels solo weather traveled domestically or internationally, my advise is basic precautions, let say, safe hotels, air travel, authentic agents and no home stays, since for my travel I only prefer top notch hotels, always get the travel plan from reputable travel agencies, and travel with the guide from company. Also, I avoid night life.

By Saif Awan   Water is a tremendous blessing—a truth best understood by those for whom it remains a rare commodity even in this modern era. Across Pakistan, including several regions in Punjab, safe drinking water is still inaccessible to many. Local residents are often forced to travel miles just to fulfill their basic water needs. Even in Karachi, the country’s economic hub, clean drinking water remains scarce. Access to clean water is a fundamental necessity, fully appreciated only by those who yearn for it or those who truly grasp its importance. Among basic amenities, safe drinking water holds the utmost priority. Clean water directly impacts not only human health but also education, the economy, the environment, and the overall quality of life. In Punjab, several regions still lack access to safe drinking water. Settlement clusters in Southern Punjab, Cholistan, Thal, and the foothills of Koh-e-Suleman have historically faced a severe water crisis. For decades, millions of residents in these areas have been forced to consume groundwater that contains levels of salts, arsenic, fluoride, and other hazardous contaminants far exceeding international safety limits. Consequently, gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, skin, and bone diseases are widespread, while children’s physical development is severely compromised. To ensure the public has access to safe, high-quality drinking water, Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz has launched the **”Chief Minister Clean Water Program.”** The Punjab government has allocated PKR 8 billion for this initiative in the current fiscal year’s budget. Under this program, 5,600 water filtration plants are being installed across various regions of Punjab. All these filtration plants will undergo digital geo-tagging to facilitate continuous performance evaluation and real-time monitoring. This project is far more than a routine development scheme; it is a vital public health, social welfare, and human dignity initiative aimed at bringing clean water to regions that have lacked this basic facility for years. In several districts of Punjab, poor groundwater quality has been a critical concern for decades. High levels of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), arsenic, fluoride, and nitrates not only affect the taste of water but also inflict long-term adverse health effects. In the first phase of the Chief Minister Clean Water Program, areas facing the most acute water shortages were selected, specifically in Khushab, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bahawalnagar. State-of-the-art water bottling plants have been established in these districts, where water undergoes multi-stage purification in accordance with international standards. This purified water is then filled into 19-liter bottles and distributed to citizens free of cost. This initiative is especially transformative for families who previously had to travel several kilometers daily to fetch water or were forced to consume contaminated water. The Punjab Saaf Pani Authority has deployed cutting-edge, internationally imported machinery for the project. Each plant features an advanced multi-stage purification system combined with rigorous laboratory testing to ensure that every drop delivered meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards. A single plant has the capacity to fill approximately 150 bottles per hour. Operating for just ten hours a day, one plant can cater to thousands of families daily. Alongside this, an advanced management system has been established to monitor plant efficiency, water quality, and the supply chain to ensure an uninterrupted supply of clean water to citizens. A standout feature of this program is that the water bottling plants are powered by **Solar Energy**. This initiative will significantly reduce electricity costs while contributing to environmental conservation, carbon footprint reduction, and the realization of global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Consequently, experts regard this project not merely as a water delivery scheme, but as a comprehensive strategy integrating health, environmental protection, and sustainable development. Another key aspect of the initiative is its tailored design to accommodate elderly citizens, women, and persons with disabilities who cannot carry or fetch water from distant sources. Large water bottles will be delivered to designated distribution points, allowing residents to collect clean water easily. Additional distribution centers will be established in proportion to population density in each district to maximize public benefit. The selection of the four initial districts—Dera Ghazi Khan, Khushab, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bahawalnagar—was not coincidental, but based on scientific and technical assessments. Groundwater in these regions has long been deemed unfit for human consumption. In many areas, TDS levels far exceed global standards, while the presence of hazardous elements such as arsenic, fluoride, and nitrates remains a constant concern. The Chief Minister Clean Water Program is projected to benefit over 29 million citizens in the coming years. Initial results have been highly encouraging, and the government plans to phase this model into other districts, ensuring every citizen across the province gains access to safe, quality drinking water. If the project maintains its current momentum and standard, it will evolve from a government scheme into a benchmark model for public health, social welfare, and sustainable development in Punjab. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s “Chief Minister Clean Water Program” is a direct effort to translate this vision into reality. By delivering quality drinking water to millions in remote and underdeveloped areas, its impact will extend well beyond healthcare to encompass education, the economy, the environment, and overall living standards. The true success of any public project lies not in its announcement, but in its long-term outcomes. If the program continues to maintain transparency, quality, and steady expansion, it holds the potential to become a role model for safe water delivery across Punjab and all of Pakistan. If every drop of clean water protects a family from illness, enables a child to pursue an education in good health, relieves a mother from the grueling task of fetching water from afar, and affords an elderly person a dignified life—then this is not merely a development project, but the beginning of a genuine transformation in human lives.